Busted: The 10,000 Steps A Day Myth

Ever wondered why everyone says you need to take 10,000 steps per day?

You’ll hear that number everywhere from fancy fitness apps to official government recommendations.

We don’t know about you, but any time we see a “recommendation” with a convenient and pretty number like 10,000…

We can’t help but feel that something is off.

So we looked into it.

And we have to say, our instincts were right.

It turns out, that the number 10,000 was originally part of a 60’s Japanese marketing ploy by a fitness company to sell pedometers.

And it worked.

Very well.

So well, the vestiges of it remain in modern culture, even though the original product has been off the market for decades.

So 10,000 is arbitrary, but there’s got to be a real number, right?

One that’s based on real data from real people?

Thankfully, there is.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts were so determined to get to the bottom of this that they conducted a study involving nearly 50,000 people from four different continents. [R]

Now that’s a sample size we can have confidence in.

The study found that the recommended range for daily steps varied based on age.

Makes sense.

The results show that 8,000 steps a day significantly reduces the risk of premature death in adults under 60.

Looks like 10,000 was pretty close!

For adults over 60, the benefits plateaued at 6,000 steps.

If you don’t know how many steps you take in a day, that’s an easy fix.

Most iPhones and Samsungs have a native app that allows you to track this.

However, the best are the ones that go on your wrist.

That way your progress isn’t lost whenever you set your phone aside.

One of our team members’ smartwatches vibrates when he hits his daily goal, so it’s impossible to forget about it.

Once he gets home and realizes his wrist hasn’t t vibrated yet, he’s eager to go out and get stuff done.

We highly recommend doing this if you want to live longer and feel better on a daily basis.

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