Ever since pedometers were incorporated into our watches and phones, lots of us have been striving to reach 10,000 steps per day.
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Or at least we were until the pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home and our new goal was more like . . . 500 steps. Â
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Well, new research from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found that 10,000 steps is a myth, but there IS an ideal number of steps to aim for. And it's actually LESS. It's getting between 6,000 and 8,000 steps each day.
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The study concluded that striving for that range reduces the risk of early death for people who are 60 or older by 54%. But walking more than 8,000 steps doesn't actually add any benefits . . . it just leveled off. There was also no definitive association with walking speed.
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For what it's worth, this was comprehensive research, involving over 15 studies on walking and mortality, covering almost 50,000 people across four continents. And it does recommend a goal of 8,000 to 10,000 steps for people UNDER 60.
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(UMass)