Why “Walking 10,000 Steps a Day” Could Be a Misleading Fitness Metric
Unmasking this fitness illusion using research and covering what we can do instead
10,000.
It’s a nice, round number with which we’ve increasingly associated our fitness. You are here; that means either you’re following the 10,000 steps rule or striving for it.
I was obsessed with this number for a long time. Working full-time, I had no time to hit this goal. So, I skipped afternoon rest after lunch, shortened my exercise duration, limited biking, etc.
In short, I walked like a maniac.
But, I was highly discouraged when I repeatedly failed to reach this benchmark even after working my butt off. I wanted to flush my Apple watch straight down the toilet in exasperation.
Activity monitors and other fitness technologies sell like hotcakes these days because you and I believe that walking 10,000 steps a day (only) will make us healthy and fit. How much truth lies in this idea, we’ll find out in this story.
But, before that, let me tell you that fitness companies are using this emotion to sell their product, as some pedometers and fitness bands are pre-programmed with this “arbitrary goal.”
