In the years 2020 and 2021, hitting 10,000 steps a day became a goal for many Americans. When you combine watches that track activity with a global pandemic, perhaps that’s what you get?
Here’s the deal…It’s a metric that has no backing. To my knowledge, 10k steps is not associated with any level of health.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not a valid or worthy daily goal for movement. I’m down for it, depending on the relationship someone ties to hitting 10k steps.
Creep the swipe graphic below for my consolidated thoughts on hitting 10k steps.
Do you need to be getting 10k steps per day?
Walking is great for humans – gets you off your butt mid day,increases circulation, and can aid in digestion and insulin regulation post meal. Increased blood flow is rarely a negative for the mind and body overall.
These watches we all wear – Polar, Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, Samsung – we can gain some insight even if we’re not hitting ten thousand steps every day. If you’re only getting 3k steps per day you’re probably living a pretty sedentary life. And perhaps you could do with a few daily walks to get you up towards 7-10k.
But also, there are other forms of activity that benefit the body and maybe don’t register as “steps.” I also must point out I am not aware of the error rate on these devices. To the first point, on days I’ve done cardio and an upper body lift, sometimes I won’t even hit 10k. Does that mean I’ve failed at being active? No.
Take the 10k steps goal and any tracking device with a grain of salt.
It’s the big picture. Is hitting 10k steps better for me than cardio and upper body resistance training. Absolutely not.
Lift your weights, get up and move throughout your day if you can.
P.S. yes, I bobbleheaded myself for this photo 😂 felt right
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