Should I walk 6,000 steps a day? 7,500? 10,000? Yes, yes, and YES! In other words, there is no “magic number”. If you are hopping on the bike at the gym for a half hour or taking a Barre or yoga class, and also walking 6,000 steps in a day, yay you. Or if you are fast walking on hilly terrain for 7,500 steps a day, maintaining a 15 minute mile (not chatting on the phone with your sister), that is a better workout than strolling 10,000 steps over the course of the day.

Most Americans walk less than 3,000 steps daily, so increasing that number to even 5,000 steps is a big win in my book. That is enough to reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes by 40%, AND it means less time sitting on the couch, which is huge! Sitting is the new smoking, so let’s keep moving throughout the day. We should all be getting 150-300 minutes of exercise a week, and adding a daily walk with any amount of steps will help get you there. Let’s lace up!