In your quest to get in shape, you got yourself a Fitbit. And it’s a great tool to help you track your steps, but just how many should you be walking every day to be healthy?
According to a new study, the magic number is 15,000 steps a day - which is somewhere around three hours of walking!
To come up with their number, researchers in England actually measured the waist sizes, BMI, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels of post office workers in Scotland, who spend a lot of time walking every day.
And compared to their coworkers stuck in an office all day, the walkers were healthier, which isn’t surprising at all. They had better metabolic rates and no increased risk of heart disease, compared to those sitting a lot more.
But 15,000 steps is a lot of walking. So how do we log that many, if our job doesn’t have us walking all day?
Little things like parking your car farther away in the parking lot, taking the stairs instead of an elevator, and walking around as you talk on the phone can help those steps add up. And even if you don’t hit 15,000, you’ll be walking more than before, which can only help.
(PureWow)