There is a general consensus among fitness enthusiasts that to stay healthy, an individual needs to walk approximately 10,000 steps a day. People across the globe have accordingly adjusted their daily step targets on fitness trackers to this number. Scientific studies on fitness have also been conducted to verify the validity of the claim that walking 10,000 steps per day can promote good health. How did this belief come into being? Is there any truth behind it, or is it just another myth?
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Manpo-Kei
When Japan was preparing to host the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, there was an increased focus on fitness in the general Japanese population. An awareness had begun to spread about the fact that regular exercise was a good way to fight against lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and strokes. It was also the best way to fight obesity, which was fast becoming an epidemic. The simplest exercise was walking - anyone could do it, no special equipment was needed, and neither was any coaching or training.
The modern pedometer was introduced to the Japanese marketplace at roughly the same time. It was a simple gadget that could be worn around the waist and would calculate the number of steps walked. This gave an individual a good idea of the distance they managed to cover. This was fortuitous for the health-conscious public who wanted to stay fit and use walking or jogging as their primary exercise tool. Needless to say, the gadget sold quickly as people began keeping track of just how many steps they were walking each day.
Manpo-kei, which literally translates to "10,000 steps" in the Japanese language, became the rallying slogan for these dedicated walkers. Many Japanese walking clubs emerged, and Manpo-kei was the minimum distance they were expected to walk. Gradually, the concept of walking 10,000 steps moved from the Japanese public to health-conscious walkers around the world. Today, most fitness experts will use Manpo-kei as the basic fitness goal for a regular exercise regimen.
The Ghent University 10,000 Steps Study
The Department of Movement and Sports Science at Ghent University in Belgium conducted a study on the validity of increased physical activity in helping individuals improve their overall health. The study was conducted in coordination with the School of Human Movement Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. The aim of the study was to determine whether 10,000 steps per day truly improved the participant's health.
During the years 2005-06, about 866 participants underwent the 10,000 steps per day fitness plan. Their progress was tracked by the researchers using pedometers, physical activity questionnaires, an activity log, and a questionnaire related to awareness of the project. Some people were looking to improve their general state of wellbeing and others who were at risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.
The intervention was highly successful for the participants, who were able to complete the daily 10,000-step challenge. Nearly half of the participants successfully completed the challenge. They felt they were in better health, and there was an overall sense of well-being. However, when a follow-up study was conducted four years later, it was found that the positive intervention effect had not been sustained.
Only half of the original participants were available for the follow-up study. Among them, there was a considerable decrease in step count across the board. Some of this is attributed to ageing; however, most participants reported a sharp drop in physical activity with each subsequent year. The lack of socio-ecological interventions, such as fostering a sense of community and increasing general public awareness of the study, reduced the motivation of the participants. While the study proved that walking 10,000 steps was beneficial, the fact remains that exercise only helps if it is a regular habit.
Setting Fitness Goals Today
Everyone benefits from regular physical exercise. The 10,000 steps or Manpo-kei is not a hard and set requirement. A person who regularly walks 6,000 steps a day will also maintain their health. It is essential to set a fitness target that meets the individual's needs. One that the individual will commit to and stay motivated to complete. Even a person who walks 4,000 steps a day, every day, will remain healthy.
Studies that demonstrated the 10,000 steps requirement used pedometers that were worn on the waist, whereas most of the new fitness trackers are worn on the wrist now. This means that a lot of extra movements may have been picked up by the sensors from daily life that are not related to steps. For instance, household chores such as sweeping the floor or doing the dishes may have contributed to an inflated daily step count. This is a factor that must be considered when setting fitness goals.
References
Further Reading
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