Ten thousand steps is an advertising number
The world’s best-known activity goal comes from an advert. A goal that suits you comes from your own weeks.
Ten thousand steps a day. It’s on almost every step counter, and many people think it’s a medical standard. It isn’t.
Where it comes from. The number became known in 1965 in Japan, with a step counter whose name already carried ten thousand steps. It was a round, appealing number for a product. There was no research behind it showing that ten thousand was better than seven thousand or twelve thousand.
What is established. Moving more than you do now is good for almost everyone. The Dutch physical activity guidelines don’t talk in steps but in minutes: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, spread over several days.
A goal that suits you. For someone who currently takes four thousand steps, ten thousand is a goal they’ll almost never reach. That isn’t motivating but discouraging. That’s why the app suggests a step goal slightly above what you actually walked over the past few weeks. You can accept it or choose something yourself.
Active burn counts too. Besides steps, you can set a goal for what you actively burn. A bike ride or a strength workout doesn’t produce many steps, but it is movement.
Counting isn’t a goal in itself. A number helps you see whether this week was more or less. It doesn’t replace how you feel, whether you sleep better, or whether you can climb the stairs without getting out of breath. Those are the things that matter.
