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10,000 Steps: A Good Goal?

It’s become conventional wisdom that we all need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. While that can be a good goal if it encourages you to move more, the number 10,000 is based more on marketing than on science. Find out how many steps you actually need.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

The Claim: Everyone should walk 10,000 steps a day.

Woman: “Well, I’m trying to stay fit so I’m trying to walk as much as I can and my tracker helps me get 10,000 steps every day.”

Robert Davis: Just 500 more steps to go! Many of us constantly check our fitness trackers in hopes of reaching that magical number of 10,000 steps. Now, that’s a good thing if it motivates you to move more. But it turns out that our fixation on 10,000 is not quite in step with sound science.

The concept of 10,000 steps originated in the 1960’s with a Japanese pedometer whose name translates to “10,000 steps meter.” It’s thought that the number 10,000 was chosen because of its exalted status in Japanese culture.

What research shows is that not all steps are created equal and that fewer than 10,000 steps may be fine… if they’re the right kind.

Specifically, getting around 8000 a day can meet the aerobic exercise recommendations for adults as long as 3000 of those steps are taken at a relatively brisk pace of at least 100 per minute.

What’s more, the 3000 need to be in increments of 10 minutes or longer.

If too few steps meet these requirements, you may be falling short, even if your tracker shows you’ve gotten 10,000 steps or more.

Now, none of this should discourage you from walking as much as possible.

Just be mindful of the quality of your steps.

Instead of going for a leisurely stroll, pick up the pace and walk briskly.

Use your lunch break or free time to squeeze in walking sessions of at least 10 minutes.

And take stairs whenever possible. Going up … or down … burns more calories than walking on flat ground.

Whether you use a fancy fitness tracker, a smartphone app, or a simple pedometer, studies show they’re generally accurate at counting steps. But you don’t need one of these devices to stay fit. If you’re not into counting steps, just try to move as much as you can, for a total of at least 30 minutes on most days.

Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I’m Robert Davis.


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