This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Ten thousand steps a day. It’s the magic number that’s said to optimize health and longevity.
But did you know the 10,000-step goal is rooted more in marketing than in science?
It started in 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, where a company released an early step counter, calling it manpo-kei — or “10,000 steps meter.” The marketing suggested this number of steps would reduce the risk for heart disease.
Today we know that health benefits kick in long before 10,000 steps. But just how many daily steps do you need? Walk with us and find out…
Just 2500 steps, or about a mile, are enough to begin reducing your risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.
For every extra 500 steps — or one lap around a standard track — you lower that risk by another 7%.
Roughly 4000 steps helps reduce the risk for early death from any cause.
At 6000 steps, you may lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, particularly if you’re an older woman.
And 500 more, for 6500 steps, may lower your blood pressure.
Pass 8000 steps to lower your risk for obesity, sleep apnea, and depression.
At 9800 steps, you may reduce your risk of developing dementia by 50%.
Now you’ve made it to 10,000 steps. But what happens if you keep going?
At 10,500 steps, your risk of dying of cardiovascular disease may be 77% lower than it was at 2500 steps.
At 11,000 steps, you’ve lowered your risk for hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity, and sleep apnea by 25%-50% more than at 6000 steps.
And at 11,500 steps, the risk for early death may be 67% lower than it was at 4000 steps.
The average American takes 4800 steps a day. We dare you to do better. Because every step counts.
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