The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day comes from Japan. It was a push to improve the nation's fitness before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The figure is random but it's a realistic amount. Most people should manage to walk 10,000 steps (4 to 5 miles) a day. It's best to commit to a number of steps you can walk everyday. If that's 6,000 steps it's better than walking 10,000 steps for a week then giving up.