How many of you sign up for 10,000 steps a day? And how many of you know where this “golden number” really comes from? Probably not many, right? The 10,000-step myth was originally a marketing tool, dating back to 1965, when a Japanese company created a device called the Manpo-Kei, which translates to “10,000-step meter.” He suggested that when citizens went from an average of 4,000 steps a day to 10,000, they would burn about 400 more calories per day. The truth is that science shows that these results could be true for any number that increases.
Let’s take this study. After following 2,100 adults who used a step-counting device for 11 years, they found that there’s really nothing special about 10,000 steps. Instead, it just showed that the more exercise you get, the better it is. 5,000 steps might give better results than 4,000, 6,000 might beat 5,000, and so on. Along the same lines, other research found that walking just 3,800 steps a day is enough to reduce cognitive decline by 25%.
Also, there is no direct “X steps = Y calories” equation; the speed at which you walk, the type of terrain you walk on, the amount of muscle you have, and your weight will influence your results. In short, there is no point in hanging on to these arbitrary numbers.
Fitness trainer Fiona Simpson found this out for herself. “I literally always had in my mind that 10,000 steps was the ‘norm’ or ‘optimal’ – you hear that number a lot on social media, so it seems like a good step goal,” he wrote. On Instagram. “HOWEVER, I have decreased my steps from an average of 12,000 to 7,000 (aiming for 6,000) – and the difference I have seen is incredible!”
She picked up the habit during the pandemic, when for many of us, including me, getting outside for our one daily hour of exercise was the only thing keeping us sane, and setting an achievable step goal gave us that much-needed dopamine boost. necessary. But life was calmer then. We had no 60+ minute commutes to the office and no social lives to coordinate, so why do we continue to cling to such an illogical and downright exhausting habit? As Fiona found out, giving it up might just be what you need to make life a little easier.
Here’s everything you learned when you halved your step goal.
1.”My personal best records have never been so good”
Fiona says: ‘I feel like a superwoman in the gym right now. It’s so weird because I never thought that the steps really took a lot of energy out of me, but my personal records have increased ever since!’ This makes perfect sense. NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), i.e. any daily movement that is not a workout, can account for up to 50% of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), while a workout only equals about 10%. In other words, you burn a lot more energy walking than you do in a workout, so cutting back on steps will leave you with more energy for gym sessions.
2. “My appetite is more stable”
I don’t feel that overwhelming hunger as often anymore, I feel satisfied and full with my meals instead of feeling hungry 24 hours a day,’ explains Fiona. This ties in with the above; you burn more energy (i.e. calories) walking than you do during workouts, so you’re less likely to feel as hungry.
3. “My stress levels have decreased.”
Trying to do 10,000 steps a day was really stressing me out,’ says Fiona. “I felt like there weren’t enough hours in each day and I was afraid I would have to fit them in.” Who identifies? Me too.
It’s amazing to think that even though the world has returned to normal after the pandemic, some of us are still trying to find time to hit such a high step count. We know that habits are hard to break; The idea of working at the office five days a week after spending over a year working from home is still utterly absurd, but think of everything else you have to find time for. Commuting, socializing, beauty routines (applause for those who got upset during lockdown), it all adds up.
4. “I have much more time in the day”
Continuing from our previous point, Fiona adds, “I can take my time, get more done for myself, and enjoy the gym without having to worry about all the extra steps.”
5. “My productivity is much higher”
Following the last two points, I do a lot more and can take my time with things that I used to rush and stress myself out’, explains Fiona.
6. “My recovery from the gym is better.”
I don’t feel as much pain after my workouts and I feel rested’, says Fiona. There is a difference between active recovery and total rest days; active recovery can include low-intensity steady-state walking (LISS), but total rest days should also be part of your routine. Studies show that not doing so could hinder your goals, as your muscles can’t repair themselves after creating tiny tears in them during training (a process known as sarcomere hypertrophy).
7. “I no longer feel the need to take steps to make up for food.”
“Reducing them has allowed me to realize that IT’S NOT THAT BIG, it doesn’t matter if you’re down a few days etc., it’s not going to make a difference,” says Fiona. In fact, as the studies mentioned above show, reaching (or exceeding 10,000 steps, as in Fiona’s case) is not necessary at all to get results. Also, your mental health should come first. Always.
