The myth of 10K steps originated in Japan many decades ago, I was told at a longevity seminar. I think the words 10 thousand steps in Japanese rhymed with the name of the pedometer manufacturer that promoted this notion. No facts behind it.

At the longevity seminar (conducted by PhD scientists), were told that 5500 steps would be enough to reap longevity benefits. So, a figure that is a little different than what is mentioned in this article.