I'm not sure who came up with the number 10,000 for the ideal number of steps for fitness but for a lot of people, it's a lot. If I'm not busy with other stuff, especially on the weekend, it's generally attainable.
According to a UMass study, the ideal number of steps is more like 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day. And there was no benefit to exceeding 8,000 steps for most people.
Most importantly, going for the lower range lowered the risk of death for people 60 and older by 54%.
The biggest conclusion from the study of course is that even a moderate amount of activity is beneficial.
There's more info in this short article about the study, here.
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