You’ve probably heard that you should be getting 10k steps a day, but where did this number come from, and does it have any basis in science?

Setting yourself a target to reach 10,000 steps a day started as a marketing effort, created by a Japanese company selling pedometers in the run up to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. A genius move if you ask us. The company’s pedometers, called manpo-kei (which means ’10,000 steps meter’ in Japanese), were a huge hit and did a lot to get the Japanese public more active.

But why has this 10k target endured? Well, the original marketing campaign was created because doctors were concerned about low levels of activity among Japanese people, and the push to 10k steps definitely helped improve activity levels, and so it stuck.

It’s not so much that 10,000 is a magic number, more that having a goal to work towards helps to get us more active. Even if you don’t manage to get to 10k, something is better than nothing.

How to get 10,000 steps a day

If it feels like a difficult target, start small. Rule number 1? Get up! You could go for a quick walk before breakfast, explore a local park at the weekend, and if you work at a desk, you could get up for a walk each hour for 5-10 minutes.

Of course, it might not be easy for you to go for a walk, depending on where you live. If you’ve not got many good walking options around, you could always get your steps in on a treadmill.

Walking pads are popular right now because they’re cheaper and tend to be easier to store than treadmills – if you work from home, consider investing in a standing desk and walking pad to really get your step count up.

There are also workout videos on YouTube that help you increase your step count by walking in place at home.

Track your steps using your smartphone (many have a built-in pedometer, or you can download dedicated pedometer apps), or consider buying a smartwatch like a Fitbit, Samsung Watch, or Apple Watch.

Don’t forget that every small effort adds up over time. Even just taking the stairs instead of the lift and parking further away from the shop entrance and walking across the car park can have an impact on your activity levels.

The benefits of walking

Studies have shown that walking can have a significant impact on your health, including reducing blood pressure and improving glucose levels. Walking outside has also been shown to have a positive effect on mental health.

What if I can’t reach 10,000 steps a day?

If you find it difficult to reach 10,000 steps a day, don’t worry. Like we said, it’s not a magic number and there are many other ways to get active that will burn the same number of calories and have the same impact on your weight loss.

Any increase on what you were doing before is worth celebrating, though, so don’t let that 10k target intimidate you into inaction.