Look, there is nothing wrong with exercise. I love to walk around my neighborhood with a friend to catch up on gossip, or have a nice stroll on the beach the three times a year we get to be there.
Heck, I even count my long strolls to the fridge in the middle of the night as little cardio bursts — you gotta do what you gotta do to burn off those midnight cheese toasties!
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For as long as I can remember, it was drilled into our brains that we must get 10,000 steps a day.
While I don’t own an Apple Watch (and never plan on owning a smartwatch) I could guess that before the pandemic, I was getting around that many steps a day.
Trips to the shops, walking to the subway station, cleaning up after my husband — all these daily activities counting towards my 10,000 steps!
However, these days, I’m ashamed to say I doubt I even crack 6 or 7 thousand steps a day!
It’s not like there’s a bunch of places to go or people to see anymore! When life feels normal again I’m sure it will climb back up there but for now, I’m here to tell you all hope is not lost!
According to a new study, people don’t actually need those 10K steps a day!
While there’s no doubt walking is great for your health, a new study finds 7 to 8 thousand steps a day is totally sufficient!
A 2019 study found that older women who walked 4,400 steps a day had lower mortality rates over four years than those who walked the least (about 2,700 steps a day or fewer), as per Insider .
However, it appeared that the reduction of risk maxed out at 7,500 steps — meaning there is no added benefit to the magical 10,000 number.
Insider reported that additionally, in 2020, a study found that taking 8,000 to 12,000 steps a day was linked to a lower risk of dying of any cause during the study.
Together, these studies suggest that moving more can benefit your health, regardless of if you hit 10k a day!
While it’s more likely one will loose weight with the more steps they take, it’s clear the health benefits are ample for those who chose to move for any amount of steps!
What do you make of the studies? How many steps do you get a day? Let us know in the comments below!
