10,000 steps a day ISN’T a magic bullet and obsessing over the target could ‘lull unfit people into a false sense of security’ say top experts

Ten thousand steps a day may no longer be the sweet spot for good health. 

The target could be lulling unfit Brits into a ‘false sense of security’, experts claimed today. 

Studies have long suggested reaching the five-figure magic number can cut the risk of suffering a range of serious health issues including dementia, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

But stepping beyond 8,000 may not even provide ‘much additional benefit’, scientists also warned. 

Instead, walking faster in shorter bursts could be equally as effective to keep healthy. 

Lindsay Bottoms, an exercise and health physiology researcher at University of Hertfordshire told MailOnline that obsessing over the 10,000 target ‘would certainly’ lull people into a false sense of security about how to stay healthy. 

She added: ‘Step count is difficult and isn’t inclusive of people who aren’t able to walk.’

‘Research shows that less than 10,000 has health benefits and 10,000 steps is an arbitrary number. 

‘Doing as few as 4,400 steps has been shown to improve life expectancy.

‘We need to encourage people to be active, so if someone regularly only does 2,000 steps a day, having a target of 4,000 is achievable.

‘It would actually motivate them more than having a target of 10,000 which is just not going to happen.’

Meanwhile, Professor Tom Yates, one of the world’s leading experts in the field of physical activity and sedentary behaviour at the University of Leicester, told MailOnline: ‘Moderate amounts of physical activity can be tremendously powerful in terms of reducing the risk of premature mortality.

‘But going beyond these levels may not provide much additional benefit — at least in terms of mortality outcomes.

‘Evidence does seem to be coalescing around 8,000 steps per day as the threshold.’

Instead, focusing and sticking to a target, such as 8,000, ‘will get inactive people a long way in terms of improving their overall health’, he added.

‘The target can be further optimised by making sure it includes moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking,’ he said.

‘This will be helpful for a lot of people. However, if targets aren’t you thing, making sure you regularly undertake at least some moderate or vigorous activity will also be beneficial.’

The 10,000 step target was initially designed by a Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer in the wake of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

At that time, there was an increased focus on fitness in the host nation and firms had tried to capitalise on the craze surrounding the Games.

One campaign involved the marketing of Yamasa’s pedometer called the Manpo-kei, which literally means ‘10,000 steps metre’ in Japanese.

But the arbitrary figure was never grounded in science. Instead, the number was selected because the benchmark was memorable. 

It comes as fresh research yesterday suggested that focusing on the time you spend exercising instead of your number of steps may be just as effective for weight loss, longevity and a reduced risk of heart disease.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston looked at four-year data from nearly 15,000 women aged over 62. 

Each participant wore a fitness tracker to measure activity levels and were given health questionnaires to complete every year. 

The team found that those who did 8,000 to 8,500 steps per day reduced their risk of heart disease by 40 percent, compared to those who did around 3,000 daily steps.

What’s more, they calculated the same risk reduction was true of those who exercised for 75 minutes per day — suggesting that measuring steps may be unnecessary.

Dr Rikuta Hamaya, lead study author and researcher at the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘For some, especially for younger individuals, exercise may involve activities like tennis, soccer, walking, or jogging, all of which can be easily tracked with steps.’

‘However, for others, it may consist of bike rides or swimming, where monitoring the duration of exercise is simpler. 

‘That’s why it’s important for physical activity guidelines to offer multiple ways to reach goals.’ 

It adds to a growing body of research suggesting the 10,000 figure may not be for everyone. 

Other studies have suggested nearly half of those who track their movement suffer anxiety about reaching their daily goal.

London-based NHS GP Dr Hana Patel today also noted the three figure goal may be unachievable for some — including people strapped for time.

She told MailOnline: ‘NHS England and the Royal College of GPs are encouraging adults to focus on walking briskly rather than just counting steps to improve their health.

‘As GPs we encourage adults to do more moderate intensity physical activity each day, and increase the intensity of their walking, rather than just focus on the distance or number of steps.

‘Just 10 minutes of brisk walking a day is an easy way for adults to introduce more moderate intensity physical activity into their day and reduce their risk of early death by up to 15 per cent’. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week — or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.

There is no guideline linked to the easily measured step count. 

Sedentary lifestyles in the UK, with Brits spending their workhours deskbound, then sitting in a train or car on their way home to sit down in front of the TV, have been estimated to kill thousands each year.   

One 2019 estimate put the annual death toll at 70,000 people a year with the health issues caused costing the NHS £700million each year to treat.

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study in 2018 estimated almost one in 10 (8.3 per cent) of adult deaths in the country were caused by physical inactivity. 

The WHO puts the annual global death toll from physical inactivity at around 2million per year, making it in the running to be among the top 10 leading causes of global death and disability.

Physical inactivity has been long linked to health problems like cardiovascular disease as well contributing to health problems like obesity, itself linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers. 

Cardiovascular disease is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries that can lead to dangerous blockages that can trigger a heart attack or stroke. 

Stokes are considered a leading cause of both death and disability in the UK, killing about 38,000 people per year and disabling many more. 

In the US an estimated 160,000 people die from strokes every year with one American suffering a stroke every 40 seconds, according to the CDC.