10,000 Steps a Day – What’s Behind It?
The human body is designed for 10–12 hours of moderate movement per day. But not only that: all functions are based on constant movement. The body continuously rebuilds various molecules and structures, transports particles into and out of cells, changes states of matter, and produces energy. Only through movement is life possible.
Or as Olympic running legend Emil Zatopek aptly put it: “A bird flies, a fish swims, a human runs.”
The body’s physical functions follow their biological plan – controlled by the behavior of its “owner.” Of course, there are deviations that may manifest as illnesses.
What many people lack – and on this point all experts and preventive physicians agree – is movement, especially in everyday life. This is not about sports, but rather a “species-appropriate” minimum level, an evolutionary guideline that can be measured, for example, through simple step counting.
As couch potatoes who nowadays have even the smallest physical effort taken off our hands through technology, we are actually a biological mismatch. But this doesn’t come out of nowhere: the body works in an extremely economical way, taking in and storing energy while “wasting” as little as possible. However, we now have an overabundance of energy available in supermarket shelves, fast-food chains, and snacks, while all forms of physical effort are reduced through cars, elevators, escalators & more. From a health perspective, we must reverse this!
So why not establish a minimum level of daily movement using simple means?
For a long time, step-count guidelines have been recommended by major health organizations and associations, physicians, and sports doctors as a benchmark for a movement-rich, healthy daily routine.
So: 10,000 steps per day!
- 10,000 steps correspond to a distance of about 7 km
- 7,500 steps correspond to roughly one hour of cycling
- 10,000 steps correspond to the weekly recommended training time
- 10,000 steps mean a daily energy expenditure of up to 350 calories depending on the person (e.g., existing muscle mass)
Anyone who has tried it will notice: incorporating 10,000 steps into everyday life can be quite challenging depending on the job. Nonetheless, from a health-promoting perspective, we should at least give it a try. The big advantage: no complicated exercises or movement patterns need to be learned, and no expensive equipment or membership contracts are required!
Preventive and health-related benefits of more daily movement:
- Increased walking-specific endurance performance
- Improved overall performance and fitness
- Prevention of overweight and weight stabilization
- Increased well-being and improved sleep quality
- Prevention of metabolic, cardiovascular diseases and back pain
With these tips, you can reach your goal quickly:
At first, feel free to use a step counter. Nowadays, almost all smartphones have such an app integrated. For higher demands, there are also advanced fitness trackers that measure steps and more. Before you start, perform a daily routine check and measure the steps you usually take.
- Don’t put pressure on yourself and set achievable goals
- Even little movement is better than none
- Gradually increase your daily step count (e.g., by 1,000 steps per day)
- Spread your steps throughout the day: every small movement break benefits your back, cardiovascular system, and supplies them with oxygen
- Use stairs from now on and avoid elevators or escalators
- Park consciously further away from your destination (e.g., workplace)
- Get off one stop earlier when taking the bus or train
- Walk or bike whenever possible
- You can find more tips daily at www.dasfitnesswunder.de in your personal profile
The origin and true story of the 10,000-steps rule
Those who take 10,000 steps a day stay healthy. But behind this magical fitness threshold is not medical research, but an advertising idea. What many don’t know: the origin of this guideline is not medical research, but an advertising campaign from more than 50 years ago.
In 1964, the company Yamasa made use of the hype around the Olympic Games in Japan and launched the first portable step counter, the “Manpo-kei,” which translates to “10,000-step counter.” The manufacturer argued that this number of steps was healthy and a sign of a healthy lifestyle. Scientific studies for this assessment did not seem to exist at that time.
Literature:
Tudor-Locke, C. et al. (2011): How many steps/day are enough? for adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity volume 8, Article number: 79 (2011); doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-8-79.
Wallmann, B. & Froboese, I. (2011): Intervention effects of increasing daily activity by 3,000 additional steps. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, Volume 123, pages369–377(2011). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-011-1567-6
*Spiegel Online, 29.07.2019
