TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Getting 10,000 steps a day in a city not made for walking
From exploring their favorite malls to intentional commutes and other creative efforts, Jakartans are finding ways to complete this daily fitness quest.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
(TJP/Staven Andersen)
G
etting your smartwatch to congratulate you for reaching 10,000 steps has become a daily fitness quest for many Jakartans. But in a city where wide sidewalks are rare and cheap ojek (motorbike taxi) rides are a few taps away, completing that task every day might require advanced skills.
Without a smartwatch, counting steps can be tricky. You could use your phone, or roughly estimate that each kilometer walked adds 1,500–2,000 steps, depending on your stride.
But this raises a question: Do we really need to hit that 10,000-step mark?
We can agree to disagree on the numbers. According to Harvard professor I-Min Lee, 7,000–8,000 steps a day is the sweet spot, enough to improve health and longevity. For me? My doctor recommends at least 20 minutes of walking daily, though knowing myself, I set a manageable 5,000-step goal on my Apple Watch.
Hitting 10,000 steps a day in Jakarta involves navigating the city's unique challenges.
But even these more realistic goals can be challenging in a city not built for walking, where residents are more often found sitting in a car, on the back of a motorcycle or behind a desk than on their feet.
Despite these hurdles, Jakartans have managed to find ways to make it happen. It all comes down to two questions: Where? And how?
