Striving for 10 000 steps a day is one of the most ubiquitous wellness goals out there — a benchmark embedded in countless fitness trackers and recommended ad nauseam as an integral component of a healthy lifestyle.

But what is the 10 000 steps rule actually based on? How important is it, especially for runners who are already regularly active? And what are the pluses and minuses of channelling your energy toward this goal?

We tapped three experts to unpack all you need to know about 10 000 steps — including how many kilometres that makes — plus other daily health metrics worth aiming to achieve.

Where did the 10 000 steps a day rule come from?
Due to the prevalence of the 10K goal, you might think it stems from a wide-scale study or other sound science. The truth though? It originates from a decades-old Japanese marketing campaign.

“In 1964, around the Olympics in Tokyo, there was a push toward getting people to move more, and a handheld pedometer was introduced in Japan,” Dr Jordan Metzl, sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery, tells Runner’s World. The name of the pedometer, Manpo-kei, translated to 10 000 steps. And though there wasn’t any scientific evidence at the time to support this specific metric as a health goal, the concept caught fire.

“It was really just a big marketing thing and people rolled with it,” exercise physiologist Heather Hart, a certified run coach and founder of Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching, tells Runner’s World.

How many kilometres is 10 000 steps?
The distance covered in 10 000 steps varies slightly based on the length of a person’s stride, as well as the terrain they’re covering, Hart says. For example, trekking on a rocky trail may cause you to take bigger or smaller steps compared to strolling on pavement, she explains. But as a general estimate, most folks cover about one kilometre in 1300 steps, Hart says, which means 10 000 steps will clock in at about 7 to 8 kilometres.

Of course, if your steps are counted in a run versus a walk, you’ll likely cover even more kilometres (unless you have a very small stride and a high cadence), Hart says.

What are the pros of the 10,000 steps a day goal?
Even though the origins of the 10 000 step goal are grounded in sales rather than science, experts say there are still legit benefits of monitoring this metric.

For one, it can encourage people to incorporate more physical activity into their routines. And that’s generally a great thing, especially given the vast majority of people aren’t moving enough. In 2020, for example, only 24 percent of adults met the latest recommendations for aerobic and strength activities.

“Movement,” Metzl says, “is one of the most powerful forms of preventive health.” He points to research supporting the notion that mortality is inversely proportional to physical activity levels. Basically, “the more you move, the healthier you are,” he says.

As exercise physiologist Janet Hamilton, coach with Running Strong, puts it: “Being active and moving every day reduces your risk for a whole host of chronic, preventable diseases.” (Of course, it is possible to overdo it with exercise and end up with issues like stress fractures, Metzl caveats, which is why it’s important to listen to your body.)

More specifically, striving for 10 000 steps a day may help you reach the current recommendation to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. Meeting the guidelines — which also encourage regular strength training — is linked with a slew of health benefits, like reduced risk of cancer, improved cognitive functioning, decreased chances of injury and bolstered mental health.

“When you look at the equivalent of hitting 10 000 steps a day and comparing that to weekly time, for most people, it evens out to around 150 to 300 minutes,” Hart explains. For many folks, tracking daily steps is an easier way to “grasp getting that movement than thinking of it as timed exercise,” she explains, which is where striving for the 10K benchmark can come in clutch.

Important caveat: It doesn’t need to be 10K or nothing. Various studies, for example, have found that logging fewer steps — say, between 6 000 to 9 000 a day — still nets health perks, like lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. “There’s not a magic formula with 10 000,” Metzl says.

That said, many people respond well to having a goal, Metzl says, which is why he believes there’s a lot of psychological value in 10 000 steps. “I’ve had patients that say, ‘well my watch hit 9 000 steps, so I’ll go walk around the neighborhood till I get to 10 000.’”

Hamilton agrees that chasing this metric can be a powerful motivator for some. If counting steps gives you the positive feedback you need to achieve your exercise goals, “knock yourself out,” she says.

Now, for folks who already run regularly, there probably isn’t a whole lot of benefit to tracking daily steps on top of that, Hamilton says. The exception: If you run, say, two days a week and then move very little the other five, monitoring daily steps could open your eyes to how sedentary you are on the non-running days and thus encourage you to fit in movement more consistently throughout the week, she says.

What are the cons of the 10 000 steps a day goal?
If you already have a regular running routine, you probably don’t need to get 10 000 steps a day on top of however much you’re running. “That’s probably excessive,” Hart says.

In that sense, the 10K goal may not be appropriate for everyone. This includes members of the elderly population. For that group, “the minimum number of steps is often recommended at a lower number and that’s because it usually requires a lot more energy for elderly people to get these steps,” Hart explains. “Ten thousand may be too much for them.”

That’s why she encourages people to take into consideration their overall health, their goals, and how much exercise they are logging outside of daily step counts to determine whether it’s a worthwhile metric for you.

Another downside of the goal is that it can encourage people to dismiss the signs their body needs rest. Hamilton, for example, has seen some athletes become laser-focused on metrics like 10K steps to the point that they continue to exercise through illness. To that end, going for 10 000 steps every day is probably not wise for folks who have a history of obsessive compulsiveness, she adds, as it can fuel anxiety and encourage unhealthy tendencies.

Are there other daily goals and metrics worth noting?
Yes, there are legit benefits to the 10K step goal, but it’s not the only health metric worth paying attention to. In fact, most runners are likely already exceeding this benchmark, which is why Hart encourages athletes to “look at their bigger picture training and focus on that more so than worrying about daily steps.”

As an alternative, she suggests monitoring how much you sleep each night and striving for consistent, adequate shut-eye. (The “right” number of hours will vary person to person, but in general, the CDC recommends adults strive for at least seven hours a night.) “If you can do that on a regular basis, you’re going to see huge gains in fitness and recovery,” Hart says.

Another valuable metric is heart rate variability, or the amount of fluctuation in the time between heartbeats. HRV “can predict how well you’re recovering,” Hart says, and keeping tabs on it can help you ID when stress is hindering your performance and when it makes sense to modify your training or stress management approach accordingly, as Runner’s World previously reported.

Beyond that, Hart encourages runners to take a look at their general movement patterns during the day and note how often they are getting up and moving around to avoid long periods of sitting — a habit that’s linked with a slew of negative health outcomes.

Lastly, both Hamilton and Metzl encourage folks to prioritise regular strength training and mobility work to further bolster your chances of aging well and staying healthy.

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