Research & Education
The 10,000-Step Fad – Are You Walking Enough?
Sep
With the increase usage of wearables such as the FitBit, Whoop, Applewatch and more, step-counting has entered the mainstream. Whether you’re walking around your house, or going for a run, there’s a good chance one of your devices is counting your steps.
If you’ve followed this health trend at all, then you likely know what has become the ‘gold standard’ of daily steps: 10,000.
But where did this number come from, and do we actually need to walk 10,000 steps a day?
The Origin of the 10,000 Steps
According to this article by Harvard Health, the magical 10,000 number originated from a Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer, which was released ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
In other words, there was no initial research indicating that 10,000 steps reflected an optimal amount of walking or running in any given day.
In fact, the number 10,000 was chosen somewhat arbitrarily, as the Japanese character for 10,000 (万) resembles the shape of a person walking.
What the Research Says
While the number 10,000 was chosen as a memorable marketing tool, there does seem to be some validity to this goal. According to some studies published by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), walking around 10,000 steps daily may be linked to:
- less dementia and less cardiovascular disease overall
- less heart disease,
- less heart failure, and
- fewer strokes.
It may significantly reduce your risk of certain cancers, while also lowering your risk of dementia by 50%.
However, if 10,000 steps per day isn’t feasible for you, fear not.
According to current research, even adding around 2,000 more steps to your daily routine can make a big difference. As this JAMA article shows, “as few as approximately 4400 steps per day was significantly related to lower mortality rates compared with approximately 2700 steps per day.”
In other words, while walking up to 10,00 steps daily can be fabulous for your overall health, start where you are.
How to Get in Extra Steps
Dr. I-Min Lee, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, suggests that little changes every day can make a big difference, and advises us not to be ‘intimated or dissuaded by the 10,000 number’.
For instance, to add in a little bit more walking to our daily life, she recommends:
- Choosing the stairs over the elevator
- Parking further away from your entrance
- Getting off of the bus at a stop earlier than your destination
- Taking multiple trips to and from your car – or while bringing dishes into the kitchen – whilst completing chores.
How NANO SOMA® Can Help
While NANO SOMA can’t take your steps for you, it can be a powerful ally in supporting your health and wellness routines,* especially as you shift to become more active.
To learn how NANO SOMA supports efforts to get in better shape,* click here. Or, to read user stories about how NANO SOMA has made a difference in exercise routines for so many, read our collected testimonials here.
Happy walking!
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose or prescribe for any medical condition, nor to prevent, treat, mitigate, or cure such condition(s). If you have any illness or medical condition, consult your healthcare provider.
