Why 10,000 Steps?

A: The 10,000 steps concept was initially a marketing strategy in 1964 to sell step counters during the Tokyo Olympics. Over the years, the concept of tracking steps started being researched as a behaviour change tool. Our program was born in 2001, when a partnership of Australian health promotion researchers utilised the idea as a population level approach to encourage people to be more active. Holistically, physical activity involves more than just walking, however having a step goal and increasing your daily movement goes a long way towards a healthier lifestyle. The goal of 10,000 steps is the recommended daily step target for healthy adults to achieve health benefits, however, it's important to note that this goal may not be universally appropriate across all ages and physical capabilities. To learn more, review our article Health Check: do we really need to take 10,000 steps a day?