Why do most of us take 10,000 steps?
We have all heard that taking 10,000 steps daily reduces the chances of cardiovascular diseases, helps burn calories which reduces the chances of obesity, strengthens our bones and muscles, aids in a healthy metabolism and much more. It helps you get out of the house, get fresh air and move your body; you also get to wear your cute gym outfits and increase boost motivation for your other tasks.
But how much of this information is reality? If we were to do 10,000 steps daily, will that prevent all health-related problems?
The history of 10,000 steps
Walking 10,000 steps daily was first introduced when Dr Yoshiro Hatano was trying to reduce obesity rates in Japan. The number 10,000 was chosen because it looked appealing, catch, easy to remember and sounded motivating, even though there was no scientific evidence associated with it. Also, the Japanese character for 10,000 (万) looks like a man walking and so it was made as the perfect number for step taking to keep your health in track.
To enable individuals to reach 10,000 steps daily, during the same time, a company in Japan called Yamasa Tokei developed a pedometer called ‘Mampo-kei’ which means 10,000 steps meter.
Dr Hatano noticed that the average Japanese person walked 3,500 to 5,000. So, he encouraged that population by telling them the amount of calories you burn by walking the average steps and comparing it to the amount of calories burned by walking 10,000 steps.
People found this idea appealing and followed it, making it their daily goal. This idea was widespread in Japan but became popular globally. Now, the goal of 10,000 steps is widespread in the west and many other countries. 10,000 steps are now included in Fitbits, smartwatches and as apps on smartphones.
Measuring 10,000 steps: the problem with it
In ‘the history of 10,000 steps’, we saw how we went from pedometers, to Fitbits, smartwatches and fitness apps on our smartphones. All these devices have one thing in common: they all detect movement.
But all these devices have errors in them. For example, smartwatches or other devices that are attached to our wrists can undercount steps; this occurs in the cases of not swinging our arms, keeping our arms in our pockets or by walking with a stroller. Error can reach 15% below the actual step count [1]. This means that even if a person had done 10,000 steps, only 8,500 steps would have been counted.
Step count can be affected depending on the device used. If you used a smartwatch and a smartphone for counting steps for the same distance, pace and person, you would see a difference in the step count. Try it next time! This is because a smartwatch is on a wrist and a smartphone can be anywhere e.g., in your hand, bag or pocket. Different locations detect different motions, causing in different step counting.
But devices is not the only problem; placement can have an affect too even though the device is the same. Pockets yield a higher accuracy; arms or bags give a lower recognition, thus resulting in a lower step count [2].
McDonald’s case
Good intentions do not always result in good outcomes. Unfortunately, this was the case with McDonald’s Stepometer (pedometer).
McDonalds was in a case for misleading the people on its nutrition and being one of the reasons for the rise in obesity. To overcome this case, McDonald came up with a Stepometer; the motivation behind this was to encourage its customers to walk more, burn more calories and thus reduce obesity. But, like other step-counting devices, it is inaccurate; and it is inaccurate by 35%. It also has a clicking sound which some find annoying. Others, however, find it motivating. With the Stepometer came a motivation booklet to inform customers of the benefits of walking. There was also a happy meal for adults at the price of $4.99 [3].
To increase it customers further, McDonald introduced white meat, lower fat, calories and carbohydrates. towards the end of 2004. They also introduced salads with grilled meat [4]. This is the other aspect of health
Kids happy meals had a toy like a pedometer which was added to the wrist. But this was taken out. Casey Collyar posted on Facebook about her child getting skin burn with the Happy Meal toy. Her post was shared 100,000 times. While this encouraged kids to walk more because of competition of who has the most steps, it caused skin issues that were major such as burns. The other issue with this is that it diverted parents’ attention from poor nutrition to just calories burned [5, 6].
Why counting your steps could make you unhappier
In a study of 95 students, they were asked to record their thoughts while they walked. One group were given the choice to wear a pedometer and had to check it regularly. The other group wore a pedometer but they could not see the amount of steps they took. The group that tracked steps took more but they enjoyed it less, even though they chose to wear the pedometer.
In another study of 310 pages, participants read for 8 minutes. One group was given additional text that reading is fun and enjoyable. The other group was given additional text that reading is useful educational and the third group was not given any additional text. In all three groups, some individuals were told the amount of pages read. Individuals who could see the amount of pages read reported that reading felt more like work and a task then something pleasurable. This was not the case with the group who were told reading is work-like [7].
Key take-ways
Counting steps initiated in Japan as a method to reduce obesity.
Many step-counting devices have initiated when step-counting spread globally.
Step-counting was promoted by McDonalds but failed.
Studies suggest step-counting reduces the pleasure of walking.
Step counting has become an obsession in today’s society [8].
Conclusion
When we focus on measuring the activity, it becomes less enjoyable. Sometimes, to not loose the pleasure, it is better to not know.
Walking is not the only factor to consider for health. Just because you walk 10,000 steps does not guarantee reduced risk of cardiovascular health and other chronic problems. There are many other factors that contribute to health such as diet and stress.
From my personal experience, when I counted my steps, my thoughts were less creative and I was never satisfied with the amount of steps I took, even though I walked more.
So, reflect on this: are we meant to know how many steps we take daily? Is step-count worth knowing when our pleasure is lost? Or, does pleasure matter more?
References
Link to the podcast: https://podcast.app/the-10000-steps-myth-e332357035/?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=share