Myth of 10,000 steps a day being peak for fitness finally debunked - and the reality is far easier

Let’s be honest, it’s pretty easy to get swept up into the whole ‘daily steps’ rhetoric.

I’m not naming names, but I know plenty of people who have marched around the bedroom in an evening to hit that golden number before they call it a day.

‘I’ve got to hit 10,000’, ‘it’s got to be 10,000 to finish off the day’ – that’s the total it seems to have been suggested to us for all this time. It’s almost become this figure of health and fitness to have 10,000 steps a day.

But guys, we might have been over-doing it. Ok, not over-doing it but maybe pushing ourselves on some days for no reason.

The myth has been debunked and we can actually be aiming for a far easier amount: 8,500.

Anyone else a bit obsessed with their step count? (Getty Stock)

Yep, new research presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey, has shown that this rough daily amount can help to keep weight off after dieting.

Plenty of wright management programmes will often include advice to up daily step count. But this research (also published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health) suggests there’s actually a lack of evidence that it does help with weight loss during dieting.

“The most important – and greatest – challenge when treating obesity is preventing weight regain,” explained Professor Marwan El Ghoch.

“Around 80% of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight tend to put some or all of it back on again within three to five years.

“The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value.”

The researchers from Italy and Lebanon reviewed and analysed existing research as they compared 1,987 patients participating in lifestyle modification programmes (LSM) with 1,771 (control group) who were either dieting solo or not receiving any treatment.

Time to put your feet up LADs? (Getty Stock)

The programmes included advice to walk more and count daily steps. This count was measured at the start of trials, at the end of weight loss phase and at the end of weight maintenance phase.

The control group didn’t increase their number of steps and didn’t lose weight at any time.

However the LSM group increased to 8,454 steps a day by the end of the weight loss phase and also lost a significant amount of their body weight.

Analysis showed there was a clear link between increasing step count and preventing weight gain, with it important to maintain it during the weight maintenance phase.

But it was found that an increase in daily steps wasn’t associated with greater weight loss in the weight loss phase.

“Participants should be always encouraged to increase their step count to approximately 8,500 a day during the weight loss phase and sustain this level of physical activity during the maintenance phase to help prevent them from regaining weight,” Professor El Ghosh said.

“Increasing the number of steps walked to 8,500 each day is a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain.”

Well, bye bye 10,000 steps at the end of the day, hello 8,500.