For years, manufacturers of smartwatches and digital bracelets have sold us that we have to walk 10,000 steps a day. The figure is already etched into popular culture, but the interesting thing is that studies that contradict the legend don’t stop popping up. Now one of them has resurfaced and the suggested figure is quite different.

Who invented the 10,000 step thing? In 1965, a Japanese company launched a pedometer called Manpo-Kei. The translation of this name is “10,000 step meters”, and according to Japanese researchers, the number was chosen because 10,000, 万, resembled a walking man. And suddenly everyone assumed that those 10,000 steps were the ideal daily amount to maintain good physical activity.

The truth is that this number has become an urban legend and most devices that track our physical activity, such as smartwatches or activity bracelets, refer to it. Fortunately, it is possible to create a custom figure in all or almost all of them.

there are other theories. Science has confirmed that 10,000 steps are unfounded, and a study published in JAMA found that the optimal daily number of steps is around 8,000. From there the benefits were modest, so if you want to maximize the benefits of taking a certain number of steps, walking more doesn’t make much sense.

Now the good figure is 7,000 (for those over 60). Says a meta-study published in the Lancet. There, they grouped 15 studies conducted between 1999 and 2018, grouping more than 47,000 adults.

After analyzing the data, it was concluded that older adults who increased their daily step count from 3,000 to 7,000 had a 50% lower risk of death. Taking 10,000 steps barely reduced this percentage of risk, but walking twice as much had benefits (not much).

If you are under 60, the ideal figure is around 8,000.. The surprise is in those under 60: the risk drops significantly down to about 8,000 steps, but walking further from there seems even more harmful. It’s remarkable because, according to this study, we shouldn’t think about walking any more than that number: doing so increases the risk of death a little more than it reduces it.

WHO counts action time, not steps. For the World Health Organization, steps don’t even seem like a sufficient measure. In their recommendations, the duration of physical activity, which varies according to age ranges, is taken into account.

Thus, adults aged 18 to 64 are said to have “at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity or at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity.” They say spending more time is beneficial, and they also recommend “muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week.” The interesting thing is that this recommendation does not change much for those over 64.

Movement is good but every person is a world. The truth is, walking has been proven many times to be good for your health, and often our sedentary lives don’t help. However, these studies and these figures are a reference without further ado. And it has its dangers: It can sink and discourage those who fail to meet these goals. Then everybody make a coat out of their cloak. But it would be better if you do it by walking a little.