Do we really need 10k steps daily?
In the 1960s, there was a Japanese marketing campaign recommending 10,000 daily steps for good health that introduced a pedometer called the ‘manpo-kei’ which means the 10,000 steps meter. It was named after a Japanese saying “Hakken Issho” that translate to “10,000 steps a day for good health”.
Walking 10k steps a day for good health gained popularity in Japan which spread to other countries. The number was chosen as it was considered as a memorable number and represents a difficult but doable goal.
We all do a good amount of walking every day, at work, at home or around the mall. It could be it for several minutes or a few hours. It is one of the best and cheapest exercises we can do, and it provides a variety of health benefits.
But is there really a need for 10,000 steps a day? Yes, if our aim is to lose weight. One research revealed that 15,000 steps a day is best for weight loss but targeting this is too ambitious for most of us.
JW Fitness, a personal and group training facility in the United Kingdom established by personal trainer John Warburton in 2018, said the number of steps varies on each person’s need.
Although that number is recommended for health reasons, the specific number of daily steps required depends on everyone’s fitness level, age, sex, weight and some other related factors. The bottom line is that whatever our individual needs may be, walking and staying active in general is good for our well being.
With today’s advancement in technology, work can now be done remotely at home, which makes us more sedentary. Doing 10,000 steps per day has become mission impossible to some people particularly if work requires them to have multiple online meetings.
While working remotely, it doesn’t make sense to aim for 10,000 steps if the maximum number of steps we make is 3,000. Instead, Warburton said, is to aim for an additional 1,000 steps daily for the next two weeks. Pulling that off, aim for another 1,000 steps and repeat the process.
If somehow, we can’t accomplish it, he said to check our current days and find where we can squeeze in the extra 5 minutes of walking, which translates to approximately 1,000 steps.
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