10,000 steps is not based on medical or scientific research. 10,000 steps became the unofficial benchmark for our daily steps goal in the 1960s, thanks to a Japanese pedometer. The Japanese character for 10,000 looks like a person walking, so it just sort of became the default over time.
–“There has been more recent literature that looked at [10,000 steps] per day, and how that’s related to 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity per day,” Milton told us. “The idea is if you’re getting the right intensity of that [10,000-step] walk, then you’re getting the CDC and ACSM recommended amount of aerobic exercise per day, because it equates to about 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity.”–