Nikita Sursin/Stocksy/Adobe Stock
If you’ve ever tracked your steps with a wearable fitness tracker, a smartwatch, or the pedometer built into your phone, you likely have, at one point or another, strived to reach 10,000 steps a day. After all, it’s often hailed as the gold standard for daily movement goals. It’s a solid round number that somehow feels both achievable and momentous, helping you improve overall health, burn calories, and possibly even boost longevity.
However, research has shown that you may not need to move quite that much to reap the wellness benefits of increased activity—which begs the question: If 10,000 steps isn’t the right goal, what is? And what if you aren’t just trying to improve your health, but want to lose weight too? Do you need to hit that many daily steps then? Here’s what science has to say.
The importance of movement
Your overall calorie burn is a combination of several things: the energy needed to keep your body humming (known as basal metabolic rate) and to digest your food, as well as intentional exercise and all your other daily movements. When people think about incorporating movement into their lives for health and weight-loss reasons, most tend to focus on the intentional exercise part of the pie. But that ignores the also important smaller bursts of movement, a category called NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis.
Skimping on NEAT doesn’t do your health any favors, as these actions play a vital role in your metabolism and overall well-being. The more of your day you spend doing literally anything other than sitting—whether that’s walking to the bathroom at work, weeding your garden, folding laundry, or standing in line at the grocery store—the more you’ll boost your metabolic rate, which ultimately means more calories burned. Plus, research shows an association between prolonged sedentary time and a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, even if you exercise. Clearly, how much you move throughout the day really matters.
“The little things definitely do add up, especially for folks who are more sedentary,” Sarah Eby, MD, PhD, a sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham and assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, tells SELF.
And this is where that 10,000-step goal comes in. The exact figure is a bit of a farce. (It’s believed to stem from a device called Manpo-kei, which literally translates to “10,000-step meter,” that a Japanese company created in the 1960s as a marketing gimmick.) But your daily step count is still one of the easiest ways to determine the amount of NEAT you’re getting. That being said there are lots of other ways to move your body throughout the day that contribute to NEAT as well. The important thing isn’t what you’re doing to move more; it’s that you aren’t just sitting at a desk for eight straight hours, then in a car, then on your sofa.
“If you’re largely sedentary throughout the day, your metabolism says, ‘Okay, we’re [not moving]—I can [slow down],’” explains Marissa McCay, MD, a sports medicine physician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “By increasing little movements throughout the day, you’re teaching your body that you’re becoming more active, and thereby your body needs to increase its metabolism to keep up with you.”
Small actions, big calorie burns
A healthy approach to weight loss includes a well-rounded diet with plenty of whole foods, protein, and fiber; a fitness regimen that features cardio and strength training; and other lifestyle factors, like reducing stress and getting quality sleep. Although you may be killing it in your morning HIIT classes, it’s all the movement you do beyond the gym that can really move the needle if you’re trying to lose or maintain weight. In fact, one comprehensive review found that energy expenditures from daily movement can vary by as much as 2,000 calories per day among people of similar sizes, depending on biological factors like age and genetics but also how much they move outside of exercise. The study highlights that even small things like fidgeting and walking while on the phone add up to make a substantial impact on metabolic rate.
The COVID-19 lockdowns shed light on this, Holly Lofton, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine and director of the Weight Management Program at NYU Langone Health, tells SELF. “The fact that we were all stuck inside during the pandemic is a great example of how non-exercise activity thermogenesis actually really keeps [our metabolism] going.” Since many people didn’t move around nearly as much as they normally would, walking through parking lots or to and from the water cooler at work, some gained weight.
NEAT is an important tool for maintaining weight loss too. Dr. Lofton explains that as you lose weight, your total daily energy expenditure typically decreases because your smaller body naturally uses less energy. Research suggests that in addition to adjusting your workout routine to account for this, like by doing more intense exercise or adding another day at the gym each week, increasing NEAT can also help you maintain a consistent calorie burn and avoid regaining weight.
More movement made easy
According to the experts interviewed for this piece, walking more is an ideal way to increase NEAT. But remember, doing so doesn’t require lacing up your sneakers and going for a dedicated walk. Small swaps also count: taking a stroll to grab coffee instead of driving, choosing the stairs over the elevator or escalator, walking to public transportation rather than using your car—you get the idea! If you’re looking to level things up, you could invest in a walking pad and a standing desk, or even a treadmill desk. Having a pedal exerciser under your desk is another way to increase movement if you have a job that requires spending hours at a computer.
Walking also isn’t the only example of NEAT. The following also count:
-
Standing in the kitchen while preparing dinner
If all else fails, simply stand when you’re talking on the phone, doing online banking, or scrolling social media; it expends more energy than sitting. Not only do these movements up your calorie burn, but they might just help you feel better. “[A] favorite thing I say to patients and they will repeat it back to me is that ‘motion is lotion,’” Dr. Eby says. “Our joints are meant to move—they were designed to be moving—and so it’s not healthy for them to be stagnant, stationary, sitting in one place for an extended period of time.”
Back to that 10,000-step goal
If having a step-count target will motivate you to incorporate movement into your day, go for it! It’s certainly not going to hurt. But as tempting as it may be to adopt that 10,000-step goal, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all magic number that works for everyone. The amount of steps you should aim for each day depends on your current fitness level, lifestyle, and objectives.
“It’s not so much about the number; it’s more about making sure that you’re getting in movement throughout the day,” explains Dr. McCay.
You want a goal you can fit into your schedule and hit most days. If 10,000 feels too big, lower numbers can still bring health benefits and keep your metabolism buzzing throughout the day. A scientific analysis published last year in The Lancet Public Health found a link between getting 7,000 steps a day and a 47% lower risk of mortality compared with averaging 2,000 steps a day. And a 2019 study found that among older women, getting even 4,400 steps per day was associated with reduced mortality rates versus those who were more sedentary.
The bottom line: As important as traditional exercise is for your health, keeping your body moving regularly and breaking up sedentary time with little actions can positively impact your overall health and weight-management goals. Focusing on step count is an accessible way to increase your NEAT—just don’t beat yourself up if you’re not hitting exactly 10,000 steps a day.
Related:
Get more of SELF’s great service journalism delivered right to your inbox.
Originally Appeared on Self