I have been pushing myself to hit 10,000 steps a day. But a new study shows I have probably been wasting my time

My friend taunted me yesterday. It was no perceived slight, or joke gone wrong. I got a notification on the Fitbit app on my phone: “Emily W taunted you.”

Emily has worn her Fitbit for a year. I got one to beat her. With 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) held up as the benchmark of an active lifestyle, it is a healthy outlet for our innate competitiveness – or so I had thought as I walked in circles around my small flat late at night, grimly determined to reach my daily goal of 12,000 steps before bed.

My view was that the more steps a day, the better, but fewer than 10,000 and you might as well be dead. So I am dismayed by the news that I may have been wasting my time.

According to the BBC documentary The Truth About Getting Fit, the hours I dedicate each day to my pursuit of step supremacy could have less impact on my health than fewer walks at a brisker pace. Host Michael Mosley and researchers from Sheffield Hallam University conducted an experiment, tasking one group of volunteers with taking 10,000 steps a day, and another with three brisk 10-minute walks (about 3,000 steps).

The 10,000 steppers not only struggled to meet their daily goal but broke less of a sweat than those doing the “Active 10”, who achieved 30% more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity despite moving for less time.

More concerning, in my steps-centric view, are the programme’s findings on high-intensity interval training (HIIT), with a short burst of activity such as a sprint apparently as effective as a 45-minute run. Even worse: people who cycled for just 40 seconds three times a week recorded a quantifiable improvement in their fitness levels, and potentially a reduced risk of heart disease. I don’t need to work it out for you, but I will: that is two minutes of exercise a week. Total.

Meanwhile, I am at the midpoint of my challenge with Emily, battling to see who can walk the farthest in a working week. At the time of writing, I am 73 steps ahead of her. Maybe we should settle it in one quick sprint instead.