Emiko Miyamoto of Japan served the ball over the net deep into the court of the Russian Women’s Volleyball Team. The return was short and, in a desperate attempt to tip the ball over, the Soviet team was called for a net violation. The Japanese women’s volleyball team had won their first gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. They had put on a dominant performance, dropping only a single set in the entire tournament.
Japan won 16 gold medals in Tokyo that summer. For the first time in history, the Games were televised via satellite globally. It was also the first time an Asian country had hosted. Over five-thousand athletes representing 93 countries inspired spectators throughout Japan and the world. The Games of the XVIII Olympiad were a massive success.
Origin of 10,000 Steps a Day
The excitement of the 1964 Olympic Games didn’t go unnoticed by the Yamasa Tokei Keiki Company. In order to capitalize on the widespread popularity and the resulting increased focus on fitness, the gadget maker produced the world’s first commercial pedometer. The device was named “Manpo-Kei,” which translates to “10,000-step meter.”
Yamasa’s marketing campaign was hugely successful as walking clubs sprung up throughout Japan. Thus, the default ’10,000 steps’ daily goal on fitness wearables today was born. Why should we care about this arbitrary goal? Let’s dive in.
Walk the Walk
The small, mountainous island of Sardinia is home to 1.6 million Italians. It is home to shepherds in the central regions and fishermen along the picturesque Mediterranean coastline. The people of the island live as if they have an abundance of time, and for good reason: more centenarians live there than anywhere on the planet.
Sardinia is the first area of the world to be tagged as a Blue Zone. 1 These geographical areas have an unusually high concentration of people living to 90 or even past 100 years. More impressive still is that they are able to maintain physical health as they age.
It is widely accepted that physical activity contributes greatly to the long lives enjoyed in Blue Zones. Those sheep herders in Sardinia typically walk 5 miles or more daily, roughly equal to 10,000 steps (what a coincidence).
Those of you reading this article are likely not shepherds living in Sardinia and most of us don’t live in a Blue Zone region of the world. No worries, we can increase our daily steps with a few simple changes to our daily routines. Let’s start with the question, how much is enough for wellness benefits?
What the Science Says
We can do better. Americans average 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day, approximately 1.5 to 2 miles. This is below the 5,000 step threshold that is considered by researchers to be a sedentary lifestyle.
The research is clear. The steps we take make a difference when it comes to our health. 2 The good news is that even small increases in our daily movement change our bodies for the better. The health benefits seem to plateau at 7500 steps per day, but more steps do help when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. Research shows this is indirectly linked to important benefits.
Some of the ways that walking powerfully impacts wellbeing:
- improves mood, releasing powerful feel-good hormones (endocannabinoids) with a host of positive effects on the brain 3
- improves strength of bones, especially in the hips & spine, as it is a weight-bearing exercise
- improves coordination and balance
- improves sleep by increasing sleep drive, putting you in deep sleep phase longer(restorative, allows body to repair tissues) and causing you to fall asleep more quickly
- keeps your cardiovascular system healthy (blood vessels that deliver blood throughout your body grow both in size and number, they are also more relaxed so your blood pressure is reduced, and they become more ‘slippery’; the heart muscle is strengthened and can pump blood more efficiently)
Here’s what’s N.E.A.T.
Incidental activity is what researchers like to call Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It’s all of the physical movement you do that is built in throughout your day. This includes lifting, pushing, pulling, playing, climbing stairs, and, of course, walking.
The technology that provides us with conveniences comes at a price. We spend time sitting in the car or at work, and generally not moving around very much. The good news is we can increase our movement with simple changes. The easiest way is, you guessed it, to walk more.
Ramping up your daily step count doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are seven ways to do it:
- Park further from the entrance at work
- Take a stroll in the morning or after dinner with a family member or your pet
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day (more steps to the water dispenser and to the bathroom!)
- If your area allows for it, walk instead of driving to run an errand
- Sitting a lot at work? Get up every hour and move (set a reminder on your fitness watch if it isn’t automatically reminding you already)
- Watching tv? Don’t sit through commercials, get up and walk or climb up & down the stairs. Your steps will add up.
Why Incidental Movement Matters
Maybe you feel like you are fit and get your workouts in consistently. Why should you care about step totals? You think, “That’s for people who are struggling to get to the gym.” Well, there’s more than you think to that daily step goal.
The human body thrives with movement. When we are not in motion, we spend more time sitting. A growing body of evidence shows this is a bigger problem than previously thought when it comes to our health.
Surprisingly, researchers have found that you can’t erase the negative effects of prolonged sitting time by getting your recommended weekly training in. While sitting we don’t use the important support muscles that we do when we stand and get moving. As a consequence, the body isn’t able to break down fats in the blood and control blood sugar as well as when these muscles are engaged.
We may not think about it when we are sitting for hours each day, but studies are showing us just how sensitive we are to inactivity. As of yet, there aren’t guidelines from government agencies like the AHA (American Heart Association), ACOSM (American College of Sports Medicine), CDC or the DHHS (Dept. of Health and Human Services) addressing sitting time. Maybe there should be.
The Power of Progress
You don’t have to obsess over checking your daily steps on your fitness tracker, but the benefit of seeing progress is proven to keep us on track. Science shows that it can be difficult to get started with a new behavior, but once we get started it is much more likely that we will keep going. One reason for this is that humans are motivated by seeing progress.
No Free Pass
The benefits of exercise are massive and widespread. Getting in the habit of breaking a sweat to meet the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is worthwhile. Just remember that it won’t erase an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.
The 10,000 steps goal created by a Japanese clock company around the time of the 1964 Olympic Games was an arbitrary number. But the fact that this goal spread around the world was positive. It nudges us into more incidental movement (N.E.A.T.) throughout the day so that we spend less time sitting.
Wise Shepherds
Those shepherds native to the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia live many years past the life expectancy of the rest of the world. These Sardinians also enjoy a long ‘healthspan.’ They are active well into old age. Moving about an impressive amount on a daily basis, they have little time in their day for sitting.
You don’t have to herd sheep for a living to get your daily steps. It is worth the effort to hear that congratulatory chime on your fitness tracker. Get up, walk, take the stairs, move more. Science clearly shows that it is what our bodies need. We can do better.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dejan (Dex) Zivkovic writes here at The Pursuit of Healthy about wellbeing and ways to live better. He has appeared on podcasts and as a guest writer. An anesthetist and former research scientist, he is a clinical instructor as a member of the faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
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Emiko Miyamoto of Japan served the ball over the net deep into the court of the Russian Women’s Volleyball Team. The return was short and, in a desperate attempt to tip the ball over, the Soviet team was called for a net violation. The Japanese women’s volleyball team had won their first gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. They had put on a dominant performance, dropping only a single set in the entire tournament.
Japan won 16 gold medals in Tokyo that summer. For the first time in history, the Games were televised via satellite globally. It was also the first time an Asian country had hosted. Over five-thousand athletes representing 93 countries inspired spectators throughout Japan and the world. The Games of the XVIII Olympiad were a massive success.
Origin of 10,000 Steps a Day
The excitement of the 1964 Olympic Games didn’t go unnoticed by the Yamasa Tokei Keiki Company. In order to capitalize on the widespread popularity and the resulting increased focus on fitness, the gadget maker produced the world’s first commercial pedometer. The device was named “Manpo-Kei,” which translates to “10,000-step meter.”
Yamasa’s marketing campaign was hugely successful as walking clubs sprung up throughout Japan. Thus, the default ’10,000 steps’ daily goal on fitness wearables today was born. Why should we care about this arbitrary goal? Let’s dive in.
Walk the Walk
The small, mountainous island of Sardinia is home to 1.6 million Italians. It is home to shepherds in the central regions and fishermen along the picturesque Mediterranean coastline. The people of the island live as if they have an abundance of time, and for good reason: more centenarians live there than anywhere on the planet.
Sardinia is the first area of the world to be tagged as a Blue Zone. 1There are five of these Blue Zones in the world. These geographical areas have an unusually high concentration of people living to 90 or even past 100 years. More impressive still is that they are able to maintain physical health as they age.
It is widely accepted that physical activity contributes greatly to the long lives enjoyed in Blue Zones. Those sheep herders in Sardinia typically walk 5 miles or more daily, roughly equal to 10,000 steps (what a coincidence).
Those of you reading this article are likely not shepherds living in Sardinia and most of us don’t live in a Blue Zone region of the world. No worries, we can increase our daily steps with a few simple changes to our daily routines. Let’s start with the question, how much is enough for wellness benefits?
What the Science Says
We can do better. Americans average 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day, approximately 1.5 to 2 miles. This is below the 5,000 step threshold that is considered by researchers to be a sedentary lifestyle.
The research is clear. The steps we take make a difference when it comes to our health. 2Even small increases in our movement positively impact important metabolic hormones like insulin. Research shows the benefits begin almost immediately. The good news is that even small increases in our daily movement change our bodies for the better. The health benefits seem to plateau at 7500 steps per day, but more steps do help when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. Research shows this is indirectly linked to important benefits.
Some of the ways that walking powerfully impacts wellbeing:
- improves mood, releasing powerful feel-good hormones (endocannabinoids) with a host of positive effects on the brain 3It was previously thought that endorphins were responsible for the ‘runner’s high’ feeling associated with training. Endorphins are now known not to cross the blood-brain barrier, but endocannabinoids do.
- improves strength of bones, especially in the hips & spine, as it is a weight-bearing exercise
- improves coordination and balance
- improves sleep by increasing sleep drive, putting you in deep sleep phase longer(restorative, allows body to repair tissues) and causing you to fall asleep more quickly
- keeps your cardiovascular system healthy (blood vessels that deliver blood throughout your body grow both in size and number, they are also more relaxed so your blood pressure is reduced, and they become more ‘slippery’; the heart muscle is strengthened and can pump blood more efficiently)
Here’s what’s N.E.A.T.
Incidental activity is what researchers like to call Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It’s all of the physical movement you do that is built in throughout your day. This includes lifting, pushing, pulling, playing, climbing stairs, and, of course, walking.
The technology that provides us with conveniences comes at a price. We spend time sitting in the car or at work, and generally not moving around very much. The good news is we can increase our movement with simple changes. The easiest way is, you guessed it, to walk more.
Ramping up your daily step count doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are seven ways to do it:
- Park further from the entrance at work
- Take a stroll in the morning or after dinner with a family member or your pet
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day (more steps to the water dispenser and to the bathroom!)
- If your area allows for it, walk instead of driving to run an errand
- Sitting a lot at work? Get up every hour and move (set a reminder on your fitness watch if it isn’t automatically reminding you already)
- Watching tv? Don’t sit through commercials, get up and walk or climb up & down the stairs. Your steps will add up.
Why Incidental Movement Matters
Maybe you feel like you are fit and get your workouts in consistently. Why should you care about step totals? You think, “That’s for people who are struggling to get to the gym.” Well, there’s more than you think to that daily step goal.
The human body thrives with movement. When we are not in motion, we spend more time sitting. A growing body of evidence shows this is a bigger problem than previously thought when it comes to our health.
Surprisingly, researchers have found that you can’t erase the negative effects of prolonged sitting time by getting your recommended weekly training in. While sitting we don’t use the important support muscles that we do when we stand and get moving. As a consequence, the body isn’t able to break down fats in the blood and control blood sugar as well as when these muscles are engaged.
We may not think about it when we are sitting for hours each day, but studies are showing us just how sensitive we are to inactivity . As of yet, there aren’t guidelines from government agencies like the AHA (American Heart Association), ACOSM (American College of Sports Medicine), CDC or the DHHS (Dept. of Health and Human Services) addressing sitting time. Maybe there should be.
The Power of Progress
You don’t have to obsess over checking your daily steps on your fitness tracker, but the benefit of seeing progress is proven to keep us on track. Science shows that it can be difficult to get started with a new behavior, but once we get started it is much more likely that we will keep going. One reason for this is that humans are motivated by seeing progress.
No Free Pass
The benefits of exercise are massive and widespread. Getting in the habit of breaking a sweat to meet the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is worthwhile. Just remember that it won’t erase an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.
The 10,000 steps goal created by a Japanese clock company around the time of the 1964 Olympic Games was an arbitrary number. But the fact that this goal spread around the world was positive. It nudges us into more incidental movement (N.E.A.T.) throughout the day so that we spend less time sitting.
Wise Shepherds
Those shepherds native to the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia live many years past the life expectancy of the rest of the world. These Sardinians also enjoy a long ‘healthspan.’ They are active well into old age. Moving about an impressive amount on a daily basis, they have little time in their day for sitting.
You don’t have to herd sheep for a living to get your daily steps. It is worth the effort to hear that congratulatory chime on your fitness tracker. Get up, walk, take the stairs, move more. Science clearly shows that it is what our bodies need. We can do better.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dejan (Dex) Zivkovic writes here at The Pursuit of Healthy about wellbeing and ways to live better. He has appeared on podcasts and as a guest writer. An anesthetist and former research scientist, he is a clinical instructor as a member of the faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
FOOTNOTES:
- There are five Blue Zones in the world.
- Even small increases in our movement positively impact important metabolic hormones like insulin. Science shows the benefits begin almost immediately.
- It was previously thought that endorphins were responsible for the 'runner's high' feeling associated with training. Endorphins are now known not to cross the blood-brain barrier, but endocannabinoids do.