Do you really need 10,000 steps per day?
How many times have you heard that 10,000 steps a day is the magic number of steps you have to take every single day?
Ever wonder why? Or who created this number? Or is it really true?
While the 10,000-step goal is popular, it’s wasn’t based on scientific evidence.
The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day traces back to the 1960’s when a Japanese company launched a pedometer. Speculation is that the number was chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 (vaguely) resembles a person walking, and the idea caught on: 万
Research on walking is relatively new, but we finally have insight.
You don’t need to hit 10,000 steps to see real health benefits.
In a study of older women, Harvard researcher Dr. I-Min Lee found that just increasing steps a little—say from 2,000 to 3,000—reduced the risk of early death.
Rounding this out with further research, it’s been shown that sex does not influence the benefits of daily steps, but age does. For people 60 and over, the benefits level off between 6,000 and 8,000 steps per day; for people under 60, the benefits level off between 8,000 and 10,000.
Speed (or pace) didn’t lessen longevity, but it does affect other health markers.
The takeaway? Every step actually does count. And yes, slow steps count too. So even a casual stroll boosts your health.
But, instead of stressing over that one big number, strive for progress, not perfection.
Take the stairs, go for an after-dinner walk, dance around your kitchen. It all adds up.
Movement is medicine, and you don’t need perfection to feel better.
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