Why 10,000 Steps? Here's Where This Daily Fitness Goal Comes From-and Whether It's Worth Following

In the 1960s, professor Yoshiro Hatano invented the 10,000 step rule after he became interested in figuring out the most impactful method for preventing heart disease and obesity.

Hatano theorised that taking 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent of about five miles, would result in 20 percent of burned calories for the average person. The idea spread to the U.S. and other countries and became the recommended health standard in several organisations.

Everyone's activity needs are different depending on their fitness goals. On average, inactive people will take about 5,000 steps per day, active people between 7,500 and 10,000 steps and very active people over 12,500 steps per day.

Determine your fitness goals:

• Track how many steps you naturally achieve per day using a fitness tracker, then increase your daily steps goal using a realistic timeline.
• Listen to your body. Doing too much too soon can leave you sore, overly tired, or injured.

Walk, walk, and keep on walking. There are many ways to get short and long walks into your day.

• Try parking farther from the grocery store than usual.
• March in place between Zoom meetings.
• Get off the subway a stop earlier and walk home.
• Choose the stairs over the escalator.
• Take your dog on a longer stroll.

Doing 300 minutes of brisk walking a week will be similar to 150 minutes of light-to-moderate intensity exercise. That is only 45 minutes of walking a day.