Do you need to walk 10,000 steps a day? Here’s what the latest data says

One of the most popular rules of health is walking 10,000 steps a day for a better and healthier lifestyle. For a lot of people, this number is high and intimidating, impacting their fitness journey and making them think that if they can’t accomplish that then changing their lifestyle is not even worth it. New data shows that these rules aren’t that rigid, and that any type of movement has a positive impact on your body.

Here’s what you should know about the 10,000 steps rule:

The rule isn’t based in scientific evidence

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Due to how pervasive the 10,000 rule is, you’d think it’s based on some hard evidence. It isn’t. Rachele Pojednic, an associate professor and program director of exercise science at Norwich University, shared on Instagram that the rule was made popular thanks to a Japanese pedometer released in the 1960s. The device was called the “10,000 steps meter,” and stuck around because the name was catchy.

So how many steps do you actually need for better health?

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shared various numbers that you could aim for. The study said that people who walked 8,000 steps a day significantly reduced their risk of death, but there were also many benefits for people who walked less.

People who walked 2,600 or 2,800 steps a day experienced many benefits, including their longevity and reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease.

What should you aim for?

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The point of the study is that steps are good, no matter how many you take. That should be your takeaway. If you want a more concrete answer, your step count depends on your lifestyle. For starters, you should aim for over 2,500 steps a day, and build from there with the help of a fitness tracker or an app on your phone. “The more steps you take, the better,” said Francisco B. Ortega, the lead researcher of the study.

“There is no excessive number of steps that has been proven to be harmful to health. Reaching 7,000 to 9,000 steps a day is a sensible health goal for most people.”