How many steps should you walk in a day: Is 10,000 the right number? What is best for you?

Walk your way to health, they say. What must you know about this activity before taking it up? All your queries about minimum steps and duration answered here.

Key HighlightsWalking is an inexpensive exercise and holds the promise of several benefits.It is often said that one must walk 10,000 steps i a day to ensure maximum benefit.But is 10,000 too high, or too low, or a one-size-fits-all number?
Long ago, when I was working on a story about the allegedly inhuman treatment meted out to poultry hens who are cooped up in cages and reportedly fed arsenic and hormone-laced grains, something seemingly innocuous caught my attention. The social welfare activist who was animatedly speaking for the caged birds said that the layer and broiler hens were held in such a small space that their step mechanism was impossible and they suffered huge health setbacks due to that.

It amazed me that walking or taking a few steps – such a modest form of exercise – could be such a huge determinant of health for that tiny bird or animal. Imagine what benefits it may hold for bipeds like the man who has a body designed for walking.