topic: 202111250933- The benefit is at the beginning alias: tags:#permanent-note#on/walking#mindset

My writing (250-300 words)

The whole world has the idea that 10,000 steps a day is the goal.

But 10,000 steps has its origins in marketing, not in science. When the pedometer was invented in Japan, it was called the “Manpo-kei” (literally the “10,000 step meter”). 10,000 step clubs formed in Japan, the craze spread to the world.

Now everyone just accepts that the goal is 10,000 steps a day.

The truth: You experience the most benefit at the start, not when you hit the 10,000th step

A new study reviewed all the data from step count experiments done, and saw that even though more steps reduces your chance of cardiovascular disease- the graph looks like steep slide, and not a straight downward ramp.

It follows the law of diminishing returns.

In other words, you’ll gain more going from 1500 to 3000 steps, than from 5000 to 10,000

This means if you already walk a lot (over 5000), getting to 10k doesn’t do much more.

If you’re walking a little (~1000-2000) you have a lot to gain from bring it up.

And if you barely get any steps at all (<500), the benefit of getting to 1000-1500 is IMMENSE.

In short, 10k steps is nice, but every step along the way counts. And those early ones count the most!

Give yourself a low minimum, the rest is gravy

Because those early steps count the most- the benefit is biggest at the start. Get those early steps in by setting a generously low minimum for yourself. Make it easy to get out the door.

The trap of 10,000 steps is that we believe the benefits are at the end. But the opposite is true, the benefits of step-counting are at the start.


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