> 10,000 steps is the default recommendation of some of the most popular fitness trackers on the market
It's worth keeping in mind that much like "8 glasses of water per day", this recommendation does not have any particular pedigree (outside of trivia about the early marketing of pedometers in Japan). It's not clear that it was based on any evidence, and it isn't especially supported by the studies that do exist (which suggest that the benefits on mortality and morbidity for most people taper off somewhere in the range of 6,000-8,000 steps per day). It's a reasonable enough goal as far as it goes, but all signs point to it being chosen to be a "round" number and not because it's an actual estimate of anything materially meaningful.
In my case 8000 steps (around 5.5 km) is something I am able to pull every day. Having a dog makes it more fun.
I've tried also 10000 steps for a while but it was non-practical, just couldn't fit that extra mile.
During the 6-week streak of 8000+ step days, it felt as if a switch 'flipped' and I went from a plateau of 90kg to 85kg (what I saw as a target) and surprisingly am able to maintain it at that level for a few years now, without almost any changes in dietary or activity habits, even throughout the 2020 lockdown.
I'm a typical developer/couch potato, I do not avoid occasional junk food, beer, extra slice of cake etc. I try not to eat late, except for nuts and seeds. I wholeheartedly recommend Turkish? (white, large sort) unsalted sunflower seeds, which have nutritious benefits according to Dr.Google, plus it definitely helps the next morning.
It's worth keeping in mind that much like "8 glasses of water per day", this recommendation does not have any particular pedigree (outside of trivia about the early marketing of pedometers in Japan). It's not clear that it was based on any evidence, and it isn't especially supported by the studies that do exist (which suggest that the benefits on mortality and morbidity for most people taper off somewhere in the range of 6,000-8,000 steps per day). It's a reasonable enough goal as far as it goes, but all signs point to it being chosen to be a "round" number and not because it's an actual estimate of anything materially meaningful.