10,000 steps…
… why you should put your walking boots on.
How has the 10,000 steps a day started?
10,000 steps a day started in Japan ahead of 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Initially as a stroke of a marketing genius that eventually ended up as one of the most successful marketing campaigns. The product advertised was one of the first pedometers called Manpo-Kei. The 10,000 was not a number that would be constructed scientifically. It was chosen as the Japanese character for this number looks a bit like a walking person 一万 (ichi man). It was first received with doubt, but caught on! Since then on more and more people all over the world started measuring their 10,000 steps a day.
Why is walking so good for us?
There are so many benefits to walking. It is the most natural movement for humans and is very safe. You are less likely to develop any injury unlike other more intense exercises. It can be done literally anytime and anywhere and you don’t need any equipment. Also you can get it done by engaging in walking short distances multiple times a day. It all adds up. Walking can also give you an opportunity for consistency which might be more challenging to keep with other forms of exercise as it does not require anything particular. This is great especially if you are trying to slowly ease into exercising.
Tip!
When walking, try to increase speed. This will increase your heart rate and improve your blood circulation. It also means that your muscles and receive more oxygen and nutrients. In the long term this all means decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Scientific research
Eventually it became a subject to various studies to see how beneficial is it to move and how many steps we should ideally do in a day. The studies show massive disparity in how much people walk in various countries. On average based on a few studies Americans tend to do about 5,000 steps a day with the number being slightly lower for women than men. (1) This means that reaching 10,000 steps a day is doubling the daily amount of steps taken. This might be challenging.
What does 10,000 steps a day do to your body?
Even though the amount of 10,000 steps was originally just a marketing number, it holds some merit. It is easy enough to manage but still can be challenging at times. It is also considered the sweet spot which should allow you reap some significant health benefits (according to a large study including over 72,000 participants which was done by a research team of University of Sydney. Link here: (1)) Another review (2) of various studies concludes following:
- A 10,000 steps/day walking resulted in weight loss over 36 weeks in previously sedentary, overweight/obese adults
- A walking speed greater than 1.32 m/s for 10,000 steps/day was sufficient to maintain a healthy bone mineral density
- Walking more than 10,000 steps/day approached a significance for changes in systolic blood pressure.
How long does it take?
10000 steps is approximately the distance of approx. 8 km or 5 miles. Everyone’s walking pace is different, but in order to cover the ground you need to reserve yourself some time. If you want to get the job done, you realistically need around 1h 15 min to 2 hrs. Wow, you might think… That is an awful lot of time! Especially if your life revolves around commute to work, then you put in your sedentary 8 hrs., wolf your sandwich down at the desk and then drive back home. At this point you are so worn out that the only thing that can fix things seems to be pizza and a new Netflix series.
Hold on, things might not be that bad!
How you can increase your daily steps?
Park further away, get of the public transport a few stops earlier.
This can be so pleasant especially if you work in the city center and can stroll a pleasant environment. Enjoy exploring your environment and make it part of your daily routine. You will be amazed how nice it can be!
Utilize your smart watch
There is nothing that can motivate you as well as a smart watch or pedometer and this is backed by a study. (1) There is something about closing your daily rings. Set the fitness activities as a screensaver on your watch and here you go with a constant motivator to move more. You can also get competitive and run little daily walking challenges with your partner, friend or a family member to give yourself that extra push.
Take stairs instead of lift
This does not only boost your step count but works as a quick cardio workout!
Take more walks with your dog or increase their length slightly
If you have a dog, take an advantage of it. Dogs are the best walking buddies, always ready to go and get out on an adventure with you even if it means walking around the block. Try to add a few more blocks to your daily walk to get some additional steps in!
Look for even small opportunities to move around whilst working
Utilize your lunch break to go to the shop and walk instead of driving. You will get some fresh air and much needed vitamin D and so energy boost whilst getting additional steps in. It will also help stretch your back from prolonged sitting.
Are you now ready to put your boots on and your 10,000 steps a day?
Of course walking is like any other form of exercise. The more we walk the more we see the diminishing return. This means that the first 5,000 steps are relatively speaking more beneficial for our health than the next 5,000 steps. For this reason walking alone should be part of our routine, but ideally we should combine it with some cardio and resistance training.
I need some new walking boots!
Mountain Warehouse Mcleod Women Wide Fit Walking Boots | Breathable & Durable & Lightweight Footwear with Comfy EVA Cushioning, Deep Lugs for Extra Grip & Stability, For Walking
USD 46.19 (as of October 8, 2026 11:44 GMT +01:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Trespass Womens Waterproof Walking Boots
USD 38.27 (as of October 8, 2026 11:44 GMT +01:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Salomon XA Pro V8 ClimaSALOMON Waterproof Unisex Multifunktions-Kinderschuhe, Präzise Passform, Grip in jedem Gelände, Sportlicher Look
USD 87.42 (as of October 8, 2026 11:44 GMT +01:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Mountain Warehouse Belfour Womens Waterproof Shoes | Durable & Lightweight Ladies Footwear with Mesh Upper, Deep Lugs for Extra Grip & Stability, For Hiking, Everyday, Walking
USD 65.99 (as of October 8, 2026 11:44 GMT +01:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Jack Walker JW2005 Women’s Waterproof Suede Hiking Boots | HydroGuard Waterproof, Suede Leather, Lightweight, Breathable, Memory Foam Insole, High-Grip Sole, Padded Ankle Support
USD 72.59 (as of October 8, 2026 11:44 GMT +01:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Let’s stay in touch!
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Resources:
(2) Do the associations of daily steps with mortality and incident cardiovascular disease differ by sedentary time levels? A device-based cohort study, Matthew N Ahmadi, Leandro F M Rezende, Gerson Ferrari, Borja Del Pozo Cruz, I-Min Lee, Emmanuel Stamatakis, downloaded from the web 31/07/2024, Do the associations of daily steps with mortality and incident cardiovascular disease differ by sedentary time levels? A device-based cohort study | British Journal of Sports Medicine (bmj.com), https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/5/261
(2) EVIDENCE BEHIND 10,000 STEPS WALKING, Apichai Wattanapisit1, *, Sanhapan Thanamee, School of Medicine, Walailak, University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80161, Thailand, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand, downloaded from web 31/07/2024 (PDF) Evidence behind 10,000 steps walking (researchgate.net), https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317400141_Evidence_behind_10000_steps_walking
(3), Pedometer-Measured Physical Activity and Health Behaviors in U.S. Adults, David R. Bassett Jr, Holly R Wyatt, Helen Thompson, John C Peters, James O Hill, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 42(10):p 1819-1825, October 2010. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181dc2e54, Downloaded from web 30/07/2024, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (lww.com), https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2010/10000/Pedometer_Measured_Physical_Activity_and_Health.4.aspx
