Counting steps has been “a thing” for nearly 20 years—when it first got big step counters were in cereal boxes, pushed in PSAs, and nicer versions flooded sports stores. There was debate—are they more accurate on your hip or ankle, and how much are you cheating wearing them on your wrist or throwing them in your purse? Then they became a part of children’s toys—Nintendo made it a reward system on the Gameboy, and Pokémon sold a pokeball that leveled you up while you walked; meanwhile XBOX launched the kinect. Today, you can measure your steps, how far you walk and more with apps—they’ll even gamify it for you with zombies to run from, sharing to compete with friends, and more. Accessories like the Apple watch automatically track all kinds of health metrics to motivate you—but has it all been worth it?
Walking more seems like such a simple thing. Is your standing desk really making you healthier? Is it worth it to stay up late pacing to make sure you hit your goal?
A new study has done a more rigorous evaluation of the data and gives us a resounding “yes”. Because counting steps is so simple and so effective at reducing cardiac events, mortality, and generally improving health metrics, the study concludes that it should be recommended more often as a basic health intervention.
It’s one you can start today, whether you feel like actually counting steps or not. Walk in place whenever you can, walk on short errands, walk in the evenings just to enjoy them. Take a pet or a friend, they’ll appreciate it. Walk around your house, your yard, or try a new park. Pace while you’re on the phone.
And as you walk more, keep your shoes fresh with Smelly Shoe Spray. You can get healthy and avoid the odor that comes with using your shoes—and your feet—more.
