Hit 10,000 steps on my fitness tracker and realized the ad lied about what counts

I finally walked 10,000 steps in a day last Tuesday, felt proud, then checked my tracker's manual. Turns out those "active minutes" ads for Fitbit say every step counts toward heart health, but my actual heart rate barely went up during most of that walking. I was just shuffling around the office and the grocery store. Has anyone else noticed their step count shoots up just from daily errands with zero exercise benefit?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_adams28d ago

Walking faster would spike your heart rate, but @nancyg14 I think those daily steps still matter more than sitting still all day.

nancyg1428d ago

Oh yeah I noticed that right away. The whole 10,000 step thing is a marketing gimmick from a Japanese pedometer company in the 60s not actual science. All those steps around the house or walking to the car barely raise your heart rate so they don't do much for your heart health. I get like 6,000 steps just doing normal stuff and feel zero difference. Real exercise walking has to be brisk enough to get your breathing up a little bit. Otherwise it's just movement not really a workout. Still better than sitting all day I guess but don't let the number fool you.

evan_cooper7328d agoMost Upvoted

That Japanese pedometer company really knew what they were doing with that marketing.