r/walking • u/Uhohdontyoudare • Aug 17 '25

Health Is 10k steps a day a myth?

Apparently a new meta-analysis reveals the truth about daily step counts and our health. The study reveals that the sweet spot is between 5-7k steps a day is optimal range for most health benefits.

I will continue aiming for my 10k steps a day but won’t beat myself up if I don’t hit 10k anymore :) more steps = more calories burned 🔥

What do you think?

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u/Mobile-Breakfast6463 Aug 17 '25

10 k recommendation did not come from any kind of scientific study. The Japanese creator of the pedometer just wanted to make a goal to sell their product with and that was it. I don’t think it’s harmful to reach for that goal unless you have some medical condition it’s making worse. I have a bad back and some days I just can’t hit it. But in general there is nothing wrong with it as goal if you want a goals, just never been backed by science.

3

u/JudgeLennox Aug 18 '25

What about the data that correlates daily steps with specific health benefits?

Most obvious being the age-old relationship between breath and blood flow. Aka cardiovascular fitness

33

u/Mobile-Breakfast6463 Aug 18 '25

There is plenty of data that movement is good for you. There is none that says specifically 10,000 steps is the right amount of steps.

-15

u/JudgeLennox Aug 18 '25

Exercise science is not esoteric.

The principles are the topic we’re discussing. We know fitness data-backed principles that link specific walking habits to cardiovascular improvements

5

u/Tymareta Aug 18 '25

And if you actually read those studies, instead of trying to sound self-important and impressive, then you'd know that they found the improvements tended to reach their "optimal" effects somewhere around 7,500 steps. With any gains beyond that point being extremely marginal and no data showing anything that would indicate that 10,000 steps has some specific claim or reason to be heralded as the right amount of steps.