Why 10,000 Steps? The Surprising Story Behind The Number On Your Wrist

It’s 9 p.m., and my mom has just messaged to tell me she’s doing laps of her lounge again. Not because she’s bored, and not because the weather’s bad, but because it’s 9 p.m. and, according to her watch, she hasn’t hit her step goal yet.

And look, I’m not judging. Walking has changed my life for the better: parkrun on Saturdays, a hiking club, even moving to a complex where I can safely walk in the evenings. (Ten laps, if you’re wondering. Apparently it runs in the family.) But I also spend long days at a desk, and I know the small sting of checking my phone at bedtime and seeing how far short I’ve fallen.

So when did walking become another number we have to hit before we can call it a night? And why 10,000 steps, anyway?

To find out what that number really tells us about our health, I dug into its surprising history and spoke with doctors and other health and fitness experts about what the science shows, what else is worth paying attention to, and whether there’s a better way to measure our walking.