Gadgets and apps which tell you to do 10,000 steps ‘could be harming you’

Many of us rely on gadgets and apps which count our steps – and then offer us a big, digital pat on the back when we hit 10,000 steps.

There’s just one problem – there’s very little scientific basis for that number, and for some people (such as older people) it might actually be harmful.

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For the rest of us, it might be convincing us that we’re adhering to a ‘fitness regime’ – when in fact we’re putting on weight.

Speaking at the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Boston, Dr Greg Hager revealed where the 10,000-step number actually comes from.

It’s from a single study of the number of steps taken by Japanese men in the Sixties – and was used to market pedometers.

It’s not, in other words, a hard-and-fast rule made up by doctors.

Dr Hager says, ‘Some of you might wear Fitbits or something equivalent, and I bet every now and then it gives you that cool little message ‘you did 10,000 steps today’,” he said.

‘But why is 10,000 steps important? Is that the right number for any of you in this room? Who knows? It’s just a number that’s now built into the apps.

‘I think apps could definitely be doing more harm than good.’