Science has officially confirmed that the 10,000 -step rule is outdated. Here’s the new number to target.

  • A new META review, published in Lancet, has officially confirmed that we have calculated the number of our stage, everything wrong.

  • The new findings suggest that you can actually reap the main health benefits long before you hit 10,000 steps.

  • Here’s what the experts say about 10K numbers and how it applies to your life.


The idea that you need to register 10,000 steps a day for good health is health for centuries. But as Women’s health Previously reported this year, the goal for steps of 10,000 per day (which is approximately equal to five miles) is not really Based in science. In fact, it’s more marketing than everything. But it’s a nice, round number and is built into most fitness trackers.

Now, a new scientific analysis in Lancet Public Health He officially confirms that this sublime goal for counting steps is not really necessary – and the potential health benefits begin to equalize long before you reach this point.

If you were happy to look for 10,000 steps a day and feel like it works for you, there is no reason to stop. But if this number is frightening and feels impossible to reach everything else that happens in your life, this study probably has some discoveries that you can use. Here’s what the scientific review has found, plus where experts and trainers recommend trying to land with your new goal goal.

To meet the experts: Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, Co -Founder of Soho Strength Lab; Danny Singer, CPT, founder of Fit2Go’s personal training

What did you find the new meta review?

For the review, researchers analyzed data from 88 different studies, considering how the number of steps is related to the risk of developing a number of health conditions. In general, researchers found that the risk of developing serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer, type 2 diabetes and depression is more in people who have registered 7000 steps a day than those who have taken only 2000 day steps.

But they also found that healthy bonuses over 7000 steps were actually quite minimal.

“Although 10,000 Steps Per Day, An Unofficial Target for Decades with a Clear Evidence Base, WAS Associated With Substantial Lower Risks for All-Cause Mortality, Cardiov Mortality, DemenTIA, and Depressive Symptoms Than 7,000 Steps Per Day, The Incremental Improvement Beyond 7,000 Steps Per Day Was Small, and there No Statistical Difference Between 7 All the Other Outcomes, “The Investigators Wrote. “Therefore, 7,000 steps a day may be more realistic and achievable for some, but 10,000 steps a day can still be a viable goal for those who are more active.”

Where did the number of 10,000 come from?

The famous number of the goal of the steps has a long history behind it (you can dive deeply here). But here’s a quick summary: This number is formulated by a doctor in Tokyo named Ivao Ohia, who created a fitness tracker called Manpo-KEI (in Japanese, that means “10,000 steps) with the engineer Jiro Kato.

It is supposed that 10,000 steps have been selected, as the Japanese character for 10,000 seems like a person who runs or walks, but it’s not really clear if this is really one of the reasons for the numbers. (Both inventors have since died.)

In the end, the number 10,000 was taken by researchers and developers of fitness trackers and its distribution. Nowadays, almost everyone knows the numbers. Still, “no clinical data, they did not support it then, and none was later added,” says Danny Singer, CPT, founder of Fit2Go Personal Training.

Why isn’t that exactly?

Although hitting 10,000 steps is not bad for you (and means that you move a lot throughout the day), the exact number is almost composed. “It was a marketing campaign,” says Albert Mateni, RD, CSCS, co -founder of Soho Strength Lab. “There was no scientific basis for this.”

Materni emphasizes that the goal of 10,000 steps a day is not necessarily inaccurate from a health POV – but many people can get serious health advantages between 5,000 and 7000 steps a day. “The data shows that health is rejected long ago 10,000,” Singer says. “Mortality and cardiovascular risk improvements start at only 2000. It is important to understand this so that you avoid the thinking of all or nothing, that is not based on any real data.”

If this is the number you like and hit it consistently, stick to it! But just remember: “10,000 steps a day are not Matten’s magic number.”

So, how many steps should I take a day?

Based on the findings of the scientific review, aiming at 5000 to 7000 steps a day is a good goal to be achieved. This is approximately two to 3.5 miles a day, depending on the step. “There is nothing wrong with 10,000 steps, but it is not based on science,” Materni says.

If you still want to strive for 10,000 steps, Matty says you have to do it. “If you don’t get there, you may still reach 7000,” he said. But every amount of walking is useful. “A thousand steps are much better than zero,” Matny says.

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