It's OK if walkers miss the 10,000-step standard

FALLBROOK – Over the last several years, many people have embraced the notion that 10,000 daily steps are the way to being physically fit. Health experts espouse that notion and trainers endorse it, but is there scientific proof behind the recommendation?

The 10,000-step standard – which equates to roughly 5 miles, depending on a person's stride length and speed – has some surprising origins that are not necessarily rooted in medical science.

I-Min Lee, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard University T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the lead author of a new study published in May 2...