What are the common misunderstandings about daily step counts?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

"10,000 steps a day" is probably the world's best-known health target, and more and more people in every country are asking where it came from. The answer is Japan. Japan's national physical-activity guidance was revised in 2024 and now gives concrete step-count benchmarks. Here is what it says.

In numbers

"10,000 steps" is generally traced to the product name of a pedometer launched in 1965 (the *Manpo-kei*, literally "10,000-step meter"). It was never set as a medical threshold.

[Verify] Check the Guide 2023 benchmarks and the latest year's average step counts in the National Health and Nutrition Survey. The origin of "10,000 steps" is the received account given in several explanatory articles.

Misunderstanding 1｜If you cannot reach 10,000, there is no point

The basic principle of the Guide 2023 is "move a little more than you do now". It cites research suggesting that even 2,000 extra steps brings health benefits.

Misunderstanding 2｜More steps is all you need

The guide also recommends strength training 2–3 times a week. Step count is one indicator of physical activity, not the whole of it.

Misunderstanding 3｜Walking only counts if you do it in one go

The current thinking is that short bursts of under 10 minutes count towards the total. Steps from commuting, shopping and housework are included.

Misunderstanding 4｜Sitting time can be offset with steps

The guide lists reducing sitting time as a separate item in its own right. Habits such as standing up once every 30 minutes have a value of their own, apart from steps.

Misunderstanding 5｜Older people are safer not walking, because of falls

The Guide 2023 recommends that older people do balance exercises in addition to walking. Loss of muscle from not moving is generally described as raising the risk of falls more. If you have an existing condition, ask your doctor.

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Sources

• MHLW, "Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion 2023" [健康づくりのための身体活動・運動ガイド2023]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10904750/001171393.pdf

• MHLW, "Outline of Results of the 2023 National Health and Nutrition Survey" [令和5年 国民健康・栄養調査結果の概要] (step counts)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_47433.html

• MHLW, "Health Japan 21 (third term)" list of targets [健康日本21（第三次）目標一覧]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/kenkou/kenkounippon21_00006.html

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.

Sources

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