The myth of what a Fitbit and 10,000 steps per day can do for you …

So many people have mistakenly bought into a myth that if they only walk 10,000 steps per day, and perhaps engage a Fitbit to count those steps to make sure they’re taken, then they will lose weight.

That’s a myth.

The whole concept of walking at least 10,000 steps each day was recommended years ago as just a starting measure to get people to move more each day. Multiple studies show that living a sedentary life with nominal movement is B A D for our health. In fact, some studies have called near constant sitting to be the “new cancer.”

The issue with walking about 10,000 steps is you might burn as much as 500 calories. Yes, that’s a good thing. But that’s also around the amount of calories in some popular fast food hamburgers. One burger and you lose much of the benefit of those well-tracked steps.

The fact is that those steps, and using a piece of technology for you to monitor those steps, are beneficial when you pair them with at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, as well as permanently adopting a nutritious diet that includes appropriate portion control.

There’s nothing magical about 10,000 steps; they are beneficial to you, but mostly when added to an overall plan for gaining and maintaining your fitness. And when it comes to the use of technology, we must remember that technology is never a replacement for self-control! Technology can be a tool to help us best know how to practice self-control to achieve the goals we set for our fitness.

Keep taking those steps, and keep counting them! Just make sure it’s all a part of a bigger plan for a lifestyle of adequate exercise and nutrition.

Scotty