From fitness trackers to government-backed health recommendations, 10,000 steps are considered the magic number for maintaining or improving health. But why 10,000 and are there benefits in walking even more or fewer steps?

as little as 1000 steps have a 15 percent reduction in all-case mortality

Following the 1964 hype around the Tokyo Olympics, a 1965 pedometer was released in Japan called the manpokei (pedometer or ten thousand steps measure), and with it the arbitrary recommendation to take 10,000 steps per day, around five miles or eight kilometers. There is no known evidence-based study that backs up this initial claim, but there have been many since the inception of the manpokei that generally agree with this number plucked from the sky.

The average American currently gets in between 3000 to 7000 steps per day, or around 1.5-3.5 miles. In Australia it's approximately 7400 steps per day on average and pre-pandemic, worldwide, was 5323 steps per day. With most affected by our lines of work, lifestyle, location, access to parks, access to safe streets, health and mobility status and modern day comforts, such as every feasible type of product delivered to our doors, step counts can vary dramatically person-to-person and day-to-day.

While the average person isn't likely to walk 10,000 steps without making a conscious effort, a much lower number could be beneficial for many. Depending on your current activity level, studies have found somewhere between 7500 and 12,500 steps have a positive effect on health. After 12,500, the benefits begin to narrow as effort increases, so pushing yourself to do more may not be harmful, but isn't necessary to see improvements in health. However, a 2009 study found those walking more than 12,500 steps per day had the best health profiles of those surveyed.

If you aren't ready for 12,500 steps, you'll be happy to know that in a review of around 17 studies by Banach et al., as little as 1000 steps were seen to have a 15 percent reduction in all-case mortality, so even the most inactive could benefit by slowly building up their daily count. Additionally, as little as 5000 steps have been seen to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, lower blood pressure and make one less likely to be overweight. Generally, 4000 or less steps per day is considered low, so it might be worth aiming for at least 5000 to 7500.

So, what do you have to lose or gain? The benefits of walking, particularly in the absence of other aerobic activity, are many and well-known, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Walking can also relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, joint inflammation, improve mood and overall brain function, and assist in weight loss. And without sound health, you can't perform or enjoy things when you aren't at your optimal level.

To get started, all you need is a comfortable pair of walking or running shoes and a pedometer. You definitely do not need a fancy smartwatch to track steps. A cheap pedometer that clips on to your clothes can cost as little as $5 on Amazon and there are also cheap watches that monitor steps if you think you won't always remember to bring a pedometer, such as Casio Step Trackers. Although pedometers don't detect variations in effort, such as walking up a hill or climbing stairs, studies have found intensity to be less important than step quantity per day, but you should still test the pedometer's accuracy range by doing a few short 20 to 50-step tests as well as how much it misses when you get up and start walking. This way you can avoid beating yourself up over being a few hundred steps under your target on days when you simply can't do any more.

With pre-selected locations to take a walk or an accessible treadmill and the determination to walk at every opportunity, 10,000 steps can be achieved within a day. If you're walking to and from school or work it will be easier, but with some planning and or investment in a treadmill, it can also be done without making significant changes. Expect between 15 to 30 minutes at a moderate to brisk speed to achieve 1000 steps, or two-and-a-half hours at best of brisk walking in a day to reach 10,000. It's no easy feat and requires both dedication and some creativity each day. Here are a few ideas to increase your steps without turning your day upside down:

• get off the bus or train a stop or two earlier
• park your car further away from your destination
• take a detour on the way to each destination
• skip the escalator / elevator and take the stairs whenever you can
• make a lunch time walk a habit
• walk your dog (or other walkable pet!)
• join a club that incorporates a lot of walking (e.g. beach clean up, hiking)
• use gamification on your fitness tracker or watch and aim to beat your own records and streaks
• encourage walking meetings with colleagues
• encourage walking dates with friends and family
• get a treadmill
  • walk while streaming (foreign city walking videos are a personal fave)
  • walk to wake yourself up rather than taking a nap
• get a treadmill desk if you work from home
  • use it to pretend to walk to and from work
  • use it to walk between meetings, just as you would in the office
  • use it while working
  • use it while on the phone
• move around more when doing chores

As we've learned, 10,000 steps isn't an exact number that is guaranteed to improve health and reduce disease risk, but it is an easy number to remember and a target with proven benefits. It's also an accessible, cheap and low impact activity that can be easily integrated into most lifestyles. And as with any new diet or exercise regime, check with your doctor or medical professional first.