Will 10,000 steps a day keep you in shape? Here’s what the experts say

Avg fitness tracker users, the number 10,000 moves around a lot — as in, try to walk a total of 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) each day, including all of your regular daily activities. And yes, the little everyday things you do to get moving every day do matter. For example, choosing to walk to work, park further away or take the stairs count towards your activity and it’s great that our technology can help us see that. However, walking and fitness in general are much more nuanced and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Are there real health benefits to taking 10,000 steps every day? Or it does how do you make them more important? What about the other workouts you do that don’t give you more steps? Here’s what science and experts have to say.

Exercise is not one-size-fits-all

Since everyone is different and has a unique lifestyle, activity level, and goals, it makes sense that not everyone will need the same amount of exercise each day to be healthy. Part of this comes down to each person’s individual health goals and concerns. But is 10,000 steps a day really enough for the average person to be considered active and healthy? That can be a great goal and starting point, according to Professor Paul Gordon, an exercise physiologist and chair of Baylor University’s Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation.

“The average person will take between 3,000 and 6,000 steps during the day from commuting, shopping, etc. Adding in 30 minutes of exercise (roughly 3,000 steps), that brings us to about 10,000 steps,” Gordhan said. He also added that when it comes to walking, more is better for your health.

So what if you’re not just walking for exercise (or even tracking your steps at all), how much exercise do you really need? According to to the Department of Health and Human Servicesyou need at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (such as brisk walking or swimming) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (such as jogging or a cardio dance class) each week. DHHS also recommends doing strength-training exercises (such as lifting weights or exercises that use your own body weight) twice a week.

Note that if your goal is to achieve other specific fitness or aesthetic goals, you you may need to exercise more than the standard 150 minutes to reach your goal.

Where does 10,000 steps a day come from?

The 10,000 step recommendation has been mainstream for a while now, but have you ever wondered where it originally came from? While you might expect the recommendation to come from a medical source or government health agency, it turns out that’s not the case at all.

Speaking at the ks fitness industry event, sports medicine physician Dr. Jordan Metzl called out the 10,000 step number as arbitrary. Number has roots that you can trace back of a Japanese hiking club that adopted the term as part of a marketing slogan.

A JAMA Internal Medicine article also states that there is “limited scientific basis” to support the claim that taking 10,000 steps a day is necessary for health. But the study found that participants who took more steps per day (over a four-year period) had a lower death rate than those who took fewer steps.

The best way to track your daily activity

If you have Fitbit, Apple Watch or other smartwatch, you know these devices can track a lot more than your steps. And while tracking your total steps and the distance you walk each day is useful, could other factors be a more effective way to measure your activity? According to Gordan, steps are not the best measurement of physical activity. “It does not account for activity intensity and is not effective for non-strenuous forms of activity (ie cycling).”

Since steps can’t account for your intensity level, Gordhan recommends also using heart rate monitor to help you gauge exercise intensity. After all, you could technically do 10,000 steps a day without really raising your heart rate or keeping it up for long. “I would encourage participation in weekly activities that will increase in heart rate for a continuous period of time.” He said a balanced workout routine might look like doing the activity that gets your heart rate up (such as brisk walking or running) four days a week and going to a yoga class two days a week to work on strength and flexibility.

Is there a better goal than 10,000 steps a day?

If 10,000 steps a day seems like an arbitrary goal now, then what are some good goals to work toward when it comes to being active? One factor that can make a big difference to your health actually has nothing to do with how many steps you take, but rather how much time you spend sitting. “Studies show that sitting for long periods of time is unhealthy in itself, even if you’re doing daily activity. So spreading out activity throughout the day is very helpful.”

The Mayo Clinic recommends that you aim to break up the amount of time you spend sitting each day with activity, even if you’re getting the recommended amount of exercise each day. Sitting too much is associated with a higher risk of metabolic problems and can affect your health.

In addition, recent study found that people who sat for more than 13.5 hours a day failed to reap some of the health benefits of an hour of exercise because their overall activity level was so low compared to the amount of time they spent seated.