The 10,000 Steps-A-Day Rule Might Be Total BS

We're pretty obsessed with notching up our daily steps thanks to the explosion of fitness trackers in recent years, but it turns out that magic 10,000-step goal may not be as magical as we think. 

Some health experts in the US reckon the 10,000 target lacks scientific backing and the number was literally pulled out of thin air as part of a marketing ploy for a clothing company decades ago.

According to one article, it started in Japan in the 1960s, when pedometers were marketed with the name "manpo-kei" which means 10,000 steps meter. And it seems it just stuck.

So, how many steps should we be doing?

Experts say you could easily hit the daily exercise recommendation without taking 10,000 steps per day, because doing activities like swimming, biking or weights don't require any steps at all.

But don't ditch the pedometer altogether, no matter how you exercise the longer you spend on your feet and off the couch will benefit your health in a massive way.