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The energy we feel when we're awake is often related to how much sleep we get at night. 

We can all relate to the dreaded feeling of taking on the day after a night of poor sleep. Your body feels worn out, and your brain is full of fog.

During sleep, our body works to support and maintain our physical health and healthy brain function.

In a sense - your body recharges and repairs itself during this time.

Whether you’re striving to perform and feel your best with sports, work, or family life - sleep plays a critical role. 

But, how much sleep do we really need? 

When we asked our members the common health myths and practices they believed in - getting 8 hours of sleep every night was amongst the top ten.

But, is this true?

Does it really matter how many hours of sleep we get? 

Is quality or duration of sleep more important?

And, can age affect how much sleep is optimal for our health?

We’ll be discussing all these questions and getting to the bottom of the idea that we need 8 hours of sleep every night to be at our best!

How much sleep do I need?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs about 7-9 hours of sleep every night. However, many factors can affect how much sleep you need, including age, pregnancy, your level of physical activity, and prior sleep deprivation (sleep deficit). We'll go into that later in this article.

If you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep most nights, you'll spend about one-third of your life sleeping. However, keep in mind that the time you spend sleeping isn't wasted time. Your body is getting a lot of work done while you're sleeping. If you get high-quality sleep—and enough of it—you'll be healthier, more energetic, and more productive when you're awake.

But sleep duration is only part of the equation. Sleep quality matters just as much when it comes to whether or not your sleeping hours are actually restorative. The key is to progress through the four stages of the sleep cycle multiple times every night.

Genetics also plays a role in how much sleep you need. A 2009 study found that some people have a mutation in the DEC2 gene. These people can function efficiently on very little sleep. In fact, people with this mutation are well-rested after just 6.25 hours of sleep per night.

In 2019, a second short sleep gene was discovered when researchers at the University of California, San Francisco identified 50 families whose members require less than 6.5 hours of sleep per night. The research team used whole exome genome sequencing to study three generations of naturally short sleepers in one of these families and found a rare mutation of a gene that was being passed down in the family's DNA.

People who have these specific gene mutations are called "efficient sleepers." Magaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, famously needed only four hours of sleep to feel well-rested and energetic. Researchers suggest that Thatcher probably had one of the gene mutations. However, most of us aren't this lucky. Less than 1% of humans have one of these mutations, so most of us need 7-9 hours of sleep to function at our best.

Quality or duration?

First, we should understand the difference between sleep quality and duration.

Whether you’ve had nights of tossing and turning or nights where you’re waking up often. Not all of our time spent trying to sleep is of good quality. 

According to the nationwide research team - assessing sleep is better done using quality of sleep as a measurement rather than using the duration.

But, what does quality sleep even mean?

How can we measure the quality of our sleep?

The National Sleep Foundation states that there are generally 4 aspects used to measure the quality of sleep:

1. Wakefulness: which is the amount of time you spend awake after first falling asleep 
2. Sleep latency: this refers to the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep
3. Sleep efficiency: the time you spend sleeping while lying in bed
4. Sleep waking: how many times you wake up during your sleep

Becoming aware of all four parts of your sleep quality will allow you to better measure if you’re having a good sleep.

Do you wake up in the middle of the night?

Do you have trouble falling asleep?

These are all questions we should be asking ourselves when trying to figure out how much sleep we really need.

But, how come?

Why does it matter?

8 hours of quality sleep is much different from 8 hours of poor quality of sleep. 

In fact, you feel the difference the day after.

Those days when we wake up feeling energized and satisfied with our sleep are generally days we can say we had a good quality sleep.

Right?

This brings up the point that when we refer to the hours of sleep we get a night, we’re referencing good quality sleep, not poor quality sleep.

But, the question still remains - how much sleep do we really need?

How many hours of sleep by age?

I’m sure we can all agree that age plays a role in the amount of sleep that’s necessary for optimal health.

When we were infants if we weren't crying or eating we were sleeping, and during our teenage years sleeping in felt like the greatest thing ever!

During infancy, the recommended number of sleep is as much as 16 hours a day! But, as we grow up the recommended time spent sleeping begins to lessen and lessen. 

1. From the ages of 3-5, it’s recommended we sleep 10-13 hours a day
2. From the ages of 6-12, it’s recommended we sleep 9-12 hours a day
3. From the ages of 13-18, it’s recommended we sleep 8-10 hours a day
4. Then, from adulthood onward, it’s recommended we sleep 7 or more hours a day

Other than age, there are other factors that can affect our sleep patterns.

How much sleep we need can also be affected by things like:

1. Pregnancy
2. Sleep quality 
3. Physical activity
4. Reaching older age
5. Previous sleep deprivation

Some of these factors may cause us to have a poor night's rest, making us fall behind in our sleep. Think of it like sleep debt. Sleep debt accumulates when we sleep fewer hours than our body needs. 

For example, your body may need 7 hours of sleep, but when you only sleep for 5 you create 2 hours of sleep debt.

This is why some people decide to nap, go to bed earlier some nights, or even sleep in on the weekends! 

These approaches may provide temporary recovery and energy. But, research suggests that 1 hour of sleep debt takes a total of 4 days to recover to your optimal level. 

This means it’s better in the long term for you to do your best to maintain a sleep schedule that fits your lifestyle. 

The general guidelines provided by the NIH say from 18 years old and onward we should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

What is the sleep cycle?

The sleep cycle—sometimes referred to as the sleep-dream cycle, ultradian sleep cycle, or REM-NREM cycle—is the period of time it takes to transition through the four stages of sleep, which we'll define below.

A sleep cycle takes between 90 and 110 minutes, but can extend to up to 120 minutes. However, like all aspects of sleep, the sleep cycle duration varies depending on various factors. For example, the sleep cycle for infants lasts about 50-60 minutes.

If you sleep 7-9 hours at night, you'll go through between four to six sleep cycles.

Sleep cycles can be affected by a number of different things, including some medications. To encourage a healthy sleep cycle, try some of these things:

• Turning off all artificial lighting sources
• Practicing good sleep hygiene
• Relaxation techniques or meditation
• Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening

Let's learn more about the four stages of sleep that make up the sleep cycle.

What are the four different types of sleep?

Sleep is divided into four stages. The first three stages are NREM sleep, and the fourth stage is REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

The acronym NREM stands for "non-rapid eye movement," and the acronym REM means "rapid eye movement." NREM sleep is abbreviated by the letter N, with numbers representing the stages.

1. Stage 1: N1 (NREM - drowsiness and light sleep)
2. Stage 2: N2 (NREM - light to moderate sleep)
3. Stage 3: N3 (NREM - deep sleep, delta sleep, or slow-wave sleep)
4. Stage 4: REM (rapid eye movement or REM sleep)

Note that many experts cite five sleep stages, with two stages of deep sleep. However, the majority of sleep scientists focus on the four stages, so we're using the sleep stage guidelines established by the Sleep Foundation for this article.

Let's do a deep dive into what these four sleep stages mean.

Stage 1: N1 (drowsiness and light sleep)

Duration: 1-7 minutes

When you're in sleep stage 1, you drift from wakefulness to sleep. This light NREM sleep doesn't last for long. During stage 1, you begin to relax and dream, but you may twitch occasionally as you transition to stage 2.

During this stage, your body isn't fully relaxed, but brain and body activities start slowing down. If you're not disturbed, you will move quickly into state 2 of the sleep cycle.

Stage 2: N2 (light to moderate sleep)

Duration: 10-25 minutes

While still light sleep, stage 2 of the sleep cycle has you drifting into steadier sleep. As your heartbeat and breathing slow down, your muscles begin to relax. During this time, your body temperature decreases, and your brain waves become less active.

In this stage, brain activity begins to slow, but you will still have short bursts of activity that help your body resist being awakened by external stimuli. Throughout the night, stage 2 can become longer during sleep cycles. You spend about half your sleep time in N2 sleep.

Stage 3: N3 (deep sleep, delta sleep, or slow-wave sleep)

Duration: 20-40 minutes

The deep sleep stage of the sleep cycle lasts for up to 40 minutes, and it's more difficult for someone to wake you up when you're in this stage. Your breathing rate, muscle tone, and pulse rate decrease during N3 sleep, and your body begins to further relax.

Stage 3 is also known as delta sleep because of the identifiable patterns of brain activity. Another name for this stage is slow-wave sleep (SWS).

Deep sleep is critical to getting restorative sleep. This stage allows your body to recover and grow. Stage 3 also boosts your immune system and impacts some of your other bodily processes.

While brain activity is reduced in Stage 3, evidence suggests that deep sleep contributes to creativity, insightful thinking, and memory.

During the first half of the night, you spend more of your sleep time in deep sleep. Throughout the night and subsequent sleep cycles, deep sleep stages get shorter.

Stage 4: REM (rapid eye movement, REM sleep)

Duration: 10-60 minutes

Brain activity picks up during REM sleep, coming close to the same as waking hours. However, your body also experiences a temporary muscle paralysis called atonia. There are two exceptions to atonia: the muscles that control breathing and the eyes. Although your eyes are closed, they can also be seen moving quickly, and that's where the name "rapid eye movement" comes from.

The REM stage is believed to be highly associated with cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and creativity. During REM sleep, most people have vivid dreams because of increased brain activity, but they’re more common in NREM stages. 

In most circumstances, you don't enter REM sleep until you've been asleep for approximately 90 minutes.

REM stages get longer throughout the night, particularly during the second half of the night. The first REM stage might last for just a few minutes, and later stages can last for about an hour. REM stages make up about 25% of sleep in the average adult.

Why is deep sleep so important?

The effects of sleep deprivation are well-known, and as we explained earlier, the quality of your sleep is as important as the quantity. All sleep stages are necessary, but deep sleep specifically offers numerous mental and physical benefits.

Deep sleep starts between 20 and 30 minutes after you first doze off, and it's this restorative sleep that dominates the first half of your sleep. Deep sleep lasts for up to an hour at a time, then you drift into deep sleep again approximately every 90 minutes.

Deep sleep is the most restorative sleep, and it's when we produce most of our growth hormones. For children, this is what helps them grow and develop. However, for adults, growth hormones are involved in youthfulness.

Also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), deep sleep strengthens our bones and muscles, keeps our immune systems optimizing and functioning, helps us prevent injury, and contributes to many other important bodily functions. Equally important, if we're injured, deep sleep helps with recovery.

This sleep stage has been shown to have potential importance in regulating glucose metabolism, and elite athletes value deep sleep because it helps them replenish their energy stores. Researchers believe that deep sleep is important for memory and cognitive function and that it plays a significant role in motor skills, language learning, and brain development.

Signs you might not be getting sufficient deep sleep

If you are experiencing any of these issues, you may not be getting enough deep sleep.

• Reduced attention and alertness
• Hitting the snooze button repeatedly
• Cognitive fogginess
• Feeling drowsy
• Lowered libido
• Cravings for food high in calories
• Irritability
• Dozing off when it's not convenient, such as at your desk
• Slow reaction time (increased risk of having accidents)
• Increased anxiety
• Trouble forming new memories and learning

When you wake up, you should feel refreshed and alert. If you don't, you may not be getting enough sleep or your sleep may be lower in quality than it should be. Conditions such as general sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea also affect our sleep quality. In total, about 13-23% of your sleep should be deep sleep. For most people, this equals to between 1 and 2 hours every night for deep sleep. 

What are the long-term effects of not getting enough deep sleep?

In addition to the issues listed above, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to other serious health conditions. For example, if you don't get sufficient deep sleep, your immune response to vaccines may be weakened.

One of the roles deep sleep plays is eliminating waste products that are potentially harmful from the brain. For this reason, long-term deep sleep disruptions may drive the advancement of such neurological conditions as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Because sleep deprivation increases our appetites for high-calorie foods, a shortage of slow-wave sleep may contribute to insulin resistance, which often manifests as heart disease and the development of type 2 diabetes.

How can I get more deep sleep?

If you're concerned that you're not getting enough deep sleep, there are some strategies you can employ to try to increase the quality of your sleep.

• Reducing the stress in your life
• Establishing sleep routines and rituals
• Eliminating caffeine in the afternoon and evening
• Using an eye mask for blocking light
• Using earplugs to block external noise
• Exercising regularly
• Creating a relaxing ritual or routine to wind down near bedtime
• Listening to pink or white noise
• Eliminating screen time for an hour before bed
• Using brainwave entertainment such as binaural beats
• Sleeping in a cool room
• Practicing sleep meditation

The bottom line - How much sleep do we really need?

We know that not all hours of sleep are created equal. There’s a difference between poor quality and high-quality sleep. 

And, we know we can create a certain sleep debt in our lives causing us to fall behind.

This makes us more tired throughout the day, and we often try to catch up on sleep through different methods.

The general consensus for adults 18 years and older is that we should be trying to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Which is about 49-64 hours of sleep a week!

But, we know this isn’t always possible. Life can sometimes cause interruptions in getting that amount of sleep.

You should be doing your best to sleep 7-8 hours, but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t always do that. If you can’t sleep 7-8 hours a night, do your best to catch up on it, and try to start maintaining a consistent sleep schedule so you can prevent sleep debt!

Getting 8 hours of sleep each night is just one of the top ten health myths and practices our members said they believed in.

We’re just getting started with our health myth debunking series.

Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts where we're going to talk about more common health myths and if they’re even true!

Sleep your way to optimal health

All of the sleep stages are important to our health and well-being, with deep sleep being the most essential for staying healthy and feeling well-rested. If you're concerned you're not getting enough deep sleep, consider speaking with a healthcare provider or participating in a sleep study.

Evidation Members can earn points for tracking self-care activities such as walking, sleeping, food intake, and more. Download our app today to get started.

According to the CDC, over 37 million people in the United States have diabetes. As many as one-fifth of these individuals don’t know that they have it. These facts make it a serious health concern.

While the tools available to people with diabetes have improved significantly in recent years, a diabetes diagnosis still impacts most aspects of life. If you're someone who’s affected, you’re probably wondering whether or not you’re going to pass the condition on to your kids. In other words, you want to know, “Is Type 1 diabetes genetic?”

To answer this question, you’ll want to take a closer look at diabetes, the different types and how they develop.

How many types of diabetes are there?

Doctors diagnose three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes only affects pregnant people and typically clears up after the baby’s birth. It happens when the body doesn’t make enough insulin to meet the mother’s needs during pregnancy. This occurs in 2 to 10 percent of pregnancies each year.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, making up 90 to 95 percent of all cases, per the CDC. In this type of diabetes, the body’s cells don’t respond to insulin properly, so the body makes more of it to compensate. This condition is known as insulin resistance. Over time, the body can’t keep this up, and blood sugar levels increase.

While Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called juvenile diabetes, it appears in people of all ages. This form of diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin, if it makes any at all. Blood sugar builds up in the bloodstream since insulin isn’t present to help the cells absorb and use it.

What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?

While both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes affect a person’s blood sugar, they’re quite different in how they do this.

In someone with Type 1 diabetes:

• The body can’t create insulin properly.
• The condition is an autoimmune problem.
• Symptoms develop quickly.
• The only treatment is to take insulin.
• There is no cure.

In someone with Type 2 diabetes:

• The body can’t use insulin properly.
• Weight and diet are contributors.
• Symptoms develop slowly.
• Treatment involves lifestyle changes and medications or insulin.
• There's no cure, but it can go into remission.

What causes Type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to destroy cells in the pancreas that make insulin. However, doctors have not identified all of the elements that cause this illness.

Several factors determine if someone is at a higher risk for Type 1 diabetes. They include:

• Having another autoimmune condition
• A family history of Type 1 diabetes
• Genetic components, including variants of specific HLA genes

In addition, people usually have a trigger that causes them to develop Type 1 diabetes. Triggers include certain problems during pregnancy, exposure to viruses, and specific climate factors, such as living near the ocean or at a higher altitude. However, no one knows why only some people develop Type 1 diabetes when these triggers are present.

What percentage of Type 1 diabetes is genetic?

Because doctors can’t pinpoint the exact cause of diabetes, it's impossible to say that a specific percentage of cases result from genetics. Doctors know that predisposition to Type 1 diabetes is passed down through families, but they can’t use this information to predict which children will develop it.

Instead, consider the risk of passing diabetes on to your child if you are an adult who has it. Here are some facts about the odds of passing Type 1 diabetes on to your child:

• Fathers have a 1 in 17 chance of passing the condition on to their children.
• Mothers who have children before age 25 have a 1 in 25 chance of passing it on to their children.
• Mothers who have children after age 25 have a 1 in 100 chance of passing it on, and the general population faces the same level of risk.
• Parents who are diagnosed with diabetes before age 11 have twice the risk of passing it on to their children as parents of the same age who were diagnosed later.
• Children who have two Type 1 parents have 1 in 4 odds of developing Type 1 diabetes.

While it’s clear that someone with Type 1 diabetes can pass it on to their child, many people develop the condition without any known relatives who have diabetes. Because of these variances, tracing the Type 1 diabetes inheritance pattern isn’t easy.

Can you prevent Type 1 diabetes?

There’s nothing you can do to prevent Type 1 diabetes. Living a healthy lifestyle, having more activity in your life, and eating nutritious foods are all good choices to make, but they can’t stop you from developing an autoimmune disease.

However, these steps can reduce your likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes, so they are worth considering.

If you want to gain better control over your health, Evidation can help. Track your steps and sleep or log your meals with your favorite app. Next, connect it to Evidation and get rewarded for healthier choices. You can also participate in health surveys and research, including research into Type 1 diabetes.

Download the app today.

Many researchers generally agree that personality is made up of 5 different traits: 

• Conscientiousness (organization, productiveness, responsibility)
• Extraversion (sociability, assertiveness; its opposite is Introversion)
• Agreeableness (compassion, respectfulness, trust in others)
• Openness (intellectual curiosity and creative imagination)
• Neuroticism (tendencies toward anxiety and depression)

Some people may have very high or low levels of any single trait, but most of us fall somewhere in-between.

What is agreeableness?

Agreeableness describes how trusting, selfless, modest, and willing to follow rules someone is.

• Those with high levels of agreeableness tend to be considerate and polite in social interactions. They prefer to resolve conflict by working together or letting things go, and find it easy to trust people and feel compassion towards others. 
• Those with low levels of agreeableness tend to express themselves directly and bluntly, even if it might start an argument. They are more likely to enjoy competition, and less likely to trust others’ intentions. 

Why does agreeableness matter for health and health decision-making?

Agreeableness may relate to some health behaviors. For example, people who are more agreeable may be less likely to engage in certain risky behaviors, including drunk driving and smoking.

However, when it comes to other behaviors (such as physical activity) and overall health outcomes (such as disease or lifespan), there’s no clear scientific evidence on whether agreeableness helps or hurts your health. 

Overall, agreeableness is not strongly related to health outcomes, but people can use their knowledge about their level of agreeableness to focus on healthy habits. 

We recently offered our members the opportunity to take a survey to see where they fall on the spectrum for agreeableness. If you’re an Evidation Member who took the survey and received your agreeableness results, read on to understand what a high or low score may mean for your health. If you’re not a member and want to see results like these, download the Evidation app.

I scored low on agreeableness. What could this mean for my health?

If you’re low in agreeableness, you may be more likely to react negatively to stressful experiences. With this in mind, consider finding healthy methods of managing stress if you haven’t already. 

For example, you could try finding time to relax with meditation or deep breaths, take opportunities to talk with people you trust about how you’re feeling, or find physical activities that you enjoy.

Alternatively, as someone with a lower level of agreeableness, you may perceive yourself to be at higher health risks than someone who is higher in agreeableness. This, along with the trait itself, may translate to being more likely to self-advocate for your health by asking questions, disagreeing with recommendations that you feel may not be right for you, and seeking second opinions.

I scored high on agreeableness. What could this mean for my health?

Being higher in agreeableness may relate to a lower likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, such as drunk driving. You may also be more likely to engage in healthy coping strategies when you’re stressed, such as seeking social support or reframing a stressful situation positively. 

In certain situations, however, people who are highly agreeable may be too trusting or willing to compromise. For some people, this may result in feeling unheard or like it’s hard to speak up to your healthcare provider. 

Some ways you can practice advocating for your health include:

• Preparing a list of questions before your next healthcare appointment
• Tracking your symptoms between healthcare appointments, so you can share a record of how you’ve been feeling with your provider
• Do some research about your condition, symptoms, and treatment options before your healthcare appointment. This may help you better understand terms your provider might use or treatments that might be recommended to you.

Want to receive more personalized health insights? Complete cards daily in the Evidation app and, if you haven’t already, connect a compatible health app. 

Don’t yet have an Evidation account? Download the app today!

Researchers generally agree that personality is made up of 5 unique traits: 

• Conscientiousness (organization, productiveness, responsibility)
• Extraversion (sociability, assertiveness; its opposite is Introversion)
• Agreeableness (compassion, respectfulness, trust in others)
• Openness (intellectual curiosity and creative imagination)
• Neuroticism (tendencies toward anxiety and depression)

Some people may have very high or low levels of a trait, but most of us fall somewhere in-between. 

What is extraversion?

Extraversion describes how outgoing, adventurous, and dominant someone is.

• Those with high levels of extraversion tend to feel energized in large groups and enjoy being the center of attention. They are more likely to be thrill-seekers and the life of the party. 
• Those with low levels of extraversion tend to be less social or outgoing. They think carefully before speaking, enjoy time alone or with a few close friends, and are less likely to take part in thrill-seeking activities. 

Why does extraversion matter for health and health decision-making?

Extraversion is associated with both healthy and unhealthy behaviors. For example, though people who are high in extraversion may be more likely to smoke or engage in distracted driving, they also tend to be more physically active. 

Personality is only part of the picture–that is, being high in extraversion doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a distracted driver. Additional factors, including genetics and your environment, come into play to affect health behaviors. 

We recently offered our members the opportunity to take a survey to see where they fall on the spectrum for extraversion. If you’re an Evidation Member who took the survey and received your extraversion results, read on to understand what a high or low score may mean for your health. If you’re not a member and want to see results like these, download the Evidation app. 

I scored high in extraversion. What could this mean for my health?

If you’re high in extraversion, try using what you’ve learned about your personality to help you improve your health behaviors. For example…

• If your social activities often involve drinking or smoking, try finding other activities, such as concerts or hikes, that you and your friends may enjoy. 
• As someone who is more extraverted, you’re likely to already be physically active. Make sure to keep that up! 
• Individuals who are extraverted are more likely to enjoy thrill-seeking experiences. Find healthy and exciting experiences, such as fun runs, to keep yourself moving and motivated. 

I scored low in extraversion. What could this mean for my health?

If you’re low in extraversion, you may want to focus on keeping up your relationships. Research has found that social relationships may be just as important for a long and healthy life as not smoking, and even more important than being physically active! 

Of course, physical activity is also important. If you haven’t already, you may want to find methods of physical activity that fit your personality and that don’t drain you both physically and socially. 

You’re probably less likely to enjoy team sports or running clubs, for example, and more likely to enjoy walks with close friends, swimming, or small group activities. If you don’t have a routine yet, try out a few small-group or solo activities to see what you like. 

Want to receive more personalized health insights? Complete cards daily in the Evidation app and, if you haven’t already, connect a compatible health app. 

Don’t yet have an Evidation account? Download the app today!

According to the CDC, walking is the most popular form of aerobic physical activity. 

From maintaining a healthy weight to strengthening bones and muscles, walking is a powerful way to take care of your body.

And many of us have heard that we should aim for 10,000 steps a day to really see health benefits.

But is there truth to this?

Or is it just a myth? 

In today’s article, we’ll be diving deep into the concept of whether 10,000 steps a day is the magic number for health or not. We’ll share where this idea comes from, whether it truly is the magic number, and more. Keep reading to learn the truth!

Where does the 10,000 steps a day idea come from?

Whether you heard it from a friend, or read it on a fitness app, this message has been circling the health community for some time now. 

‍But here’s the truth. 

There doesn’t appear to be any scientific data that 10,000 steps a day is the optimal goal for health.

In fact, the whole idea might actually stem from an old marketing strategy used by a Japanese Pedometer company in the 1960s. The idea came from a marketer, not a doctor.

Does that mean it should be thrown out? No, the 10,000 steps a day idea has started a renewed interest in being active, and that’s always a good thing.

How long does it take to walk 10,000 steps?

If you’re wondering how to get 10,000 steps in a day, the first question to ask is how to fit in the extra time to increase your average steps per day. Knowing how long it takes to get those steps is helpful.

The answer to this question depends on how long your stride is and how quickly you can walk. 

On average, people take 100 steps per minute. This is a pace of about 3 miles per hour, which is a fast walk. If you can keep up that pace for the entire 10,000 steps, then it will take 100 minutes, or 1 hour and 40 minutes, to walk it.

How many miles is 10,000 steps?

The number of miles you’ll cover with 10,000 steps is going to vary based on how long your steps are. Someone with a long stride is going to cover more ground in their 10,000 steps than someone with a shorter stride. A child will cover less ground with 10,000 steps than an adult because of their smaller stride. 

That said, for the average adult, 10,000 steps is about 5 miles or 8 kilometers. If you’re trying to add to your average steps per day by adding walking exercise, knowing how many steps are on your walk is helpful. If you take a 2-mile walk to increase your step count, you’ll likely be taking 3,000 to 4,000 steps on that walk.

Because of the variance in the number of miles you'll cover by walking 10,000 steps a day, measuring steps is more effective than measuring distance. You'll receive the benefits of increased walking, including increased flexibility, increased blood flow, better heart health, improved balance and increased range of motion, as long as you're striving for that 10,000 mark, even if your distance falls short of the 5-mile average.

Keep in mind that 10,000 steps is a goal that works well for many people, but it’s not the best goal for every person. The benefits of walking more happen if you increase your energy expenditure, even if 10,000 steps a day is out of reach. 

Is 10,000 steps really the magic number?

One study followed 2,110 adults with an average follow-up of 10.8 years. During this study, people taking at least 7,000 steps a day compared to those taking less than 7,000 steps a day had a 50% to 70% lower risk of mortality.

This doesn’t give any evidence that 10,000 steps is the magic number. But it does indicate that more exercise is better than less. 

‍So is 10,000 steps the magic number or not?

Amanda Paluch, a lead researcher studying the link between how many steps people take and cardiovascular disease, led a team that analyzed seven earlier studies that followed participants who wore step counters and tracked their cardiovascular health.

They brought all the studies together for a more diverse sample. They found that as the number of steps increased, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased. 

But the message isn’t that 10,000 steps is the magical number.

‍The message is to move more.

Paluch goes on to explain that just increasing your steps incrementally could be helpful to your cardiovascular health. So, we shouldn’t get caught up in a set goal of 10,000 steps or any other number. 

There is no “all or nothing” when it comes to the benefits we get from walking.  

How many steps a day should you be getting?

So how many steps should we be getting every day?

‍Anything below 4,000 steps a day is considered a low level of physical activity. So, if you’re regularly walking less than that, and if you aren’t limited by mobility or health conditions that prevent you from walking more, it might be a good idea to step up your step count. 

But that doesn’t mean you have to push for 10,000 each day. 

Certain health benefits from walking are prevalent way before we reach 10,000, especially for those who are inactive or have low levels of activity. 

Here’s the takeaway.

‍The number of steps you should take each day depends on several factors. 

Your age, health, present fitness levels, and fitness goals can all directly affect the appropriate amount of steps you should be aiming for. 

The CDC’s recommendations for the amount of physical activity you should aim for are based on your current fitness level. 

There are 4 levels of aerobic activity the CDC refers to:

• Inactive - this means that there’s no extra physical activity taking place besides the basic movements required for daily life. 
• Insufficiently active - this is when someone does a moderate amount of exercise. Either less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. 
• Active - this is the equivalent of someone doing 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. This is the key guideline target range for healthy adults. 
• Highly active - this is when someone does more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. 

‍But what does moderate-intensity exercise include? 

Moderate-intensity is anything from brisk walking to house and yard work. This means we can achieve 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity by walking. 

And according to the American College of Sports Medicine, 7,000 to 9,000 steps a day may be the equivalent of the recommended 150 to 300 minutes of activity each week.

If you’re inactive or insufficiently active, it may be challenging to work towards a goal of 7,000 to 9,000 steps right away. It might be best to slowly work your way up. 

As time progresses, and you begin to learn your physical capabilities, you can start to aim for a particular number. 

If you deal with certain health conditions, it may be best to consult with a healthcare professional to learn about precautions you should take.

How to add more steps in your day

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Taking more steps in your day might seem like a hard thing to do, but there are actually many ways you can incorporate more walking into your daily life. By adding a few small steps now, you’ll find the count on your fitness tracker increasing substantially. Here are a few ideas:

• Take the stairs - avoiding elevators and escalators or anything that decreases how much you walk could be a great way to naturally add more steps into your day.
• Walk with a dog or friend - taking some time out of your day to walk your dog can be a great way to clear your head while also adding in more steps and getting your dog to exercise. And if you don’t have a dog, it might be a great chance to spend some time with a friend and catch up!
• Park further away or walk rather than drive - whether you’re taking a trip to the grocery store or meeting up at a friend's house, taking time to take those extra steps either by walking or parking further away from your destination might be a great way to add more steps into your daily routine.‍
• Listen while walking - If you’re going to listen to music or a podcast, take a walk while you do. This will add more steps to your day, and you’ll still get to listen to what you enjoy.
• Walk while watching TV - If you’re in the habit of watching TV to unwind at the end of the day, consider adding some walking. Walk in place, or load the show onto a tablet or phone to watch while on the treadmill. You’ll log a lot of steps during a one-hour show.
• Get up earlier - Getting up 15 minutes earlier to take a short walk before starting your day could add 1,000 to 2,000 steps to your daily routine, depending on how quickly you walk. Again, little changes add up over time.
• Walk while you wait - If you're waiting for an appointment, step to a quiet corner and walk in place, or pace the hallway. Any time you’re sitting without something you need to do, consider walking instead of sitting.
• Talk on the phone and walk - If you need to take a phone call, put on a Bluetooth headset and walk the neighborhood while you talk. This is another instance when you don't need to just sit, but can get some steps in while you’re doing something else.
• Change your entertainment - Instead of choosing to play on the computer or watch TV, use your free time to explore your local park or farmer’s market. Active, outdoor activities will help you log more steps, even while having some fun.

The key is to find little places to add steps to your day. In just 10 minutes, you can add 1,000 to your step count. All it takes is a little creativity. 

In addition, try to break up your walks. Don’t try to get all of your steps in one epic walk. Instead, find 10 to 15 minutes at a time where you can walk, and you’ll find the process feels easier, even when the outcome is the same. Quick walks and workouts almost always feel less overwhelming than longer ones.

After looking for small places to add steps to your day, you may start noticing the benefits of increased activity. If you want more, consider these more detailed steps. 

1. Get into a routine

Having a routine is the key to being more active. Once you’re in the habit, you’ll find it easier to get a higher step count each day.

The researchers at MIT found that the cue-routine-reward system is highly effective at building neurological connections that make something into a habit. To do this, you need:

• Cue - The cue is something that triggers the thought to work out. For instance, if you want to work out in the morning, your morning alarm could be your cue. Tie the activity into the cue regularly until it becomes a habit.
• Routine - Next, make it a routine. The routine is a habit or action that you do every time to make sure you’re active. Then, do the activity, such as taking your walk. Consistency is the key to making this a habit.
• Reward - The reward is something tangible that makes you feel good about doing the activity. Sometimes, all you need is the endorphins your body makes. However, some people need a more tangible reward. Don’t reward yourself with something unhealthy, like dessert, but rather something that further supports your routine, like new workout clothes after being consistent for a month. Another option is to use Evidation, which will put your rewards on autopilot. Our members earn rewards for the steps they take.

If you go through the cue-routine-reward cycle multiple times, you’re likely to build a habit. Soon, walking will be something you're so used to, you don't even think about it, and you're getting your steps in on a more regular basis.

Habit stacking can also work well. To do this, stack your walking habits with something you already do every day. Since the first item is already a routine, you'll be able to add the new one more easily.

For instance, if you sit and listen to a podcast daily, grab some earbuds and listen while you walk. You’ll add up steps more quickly and not have to add something new to your daily routine.

2. Start small and build

One of the reasons many people find starting new exercise routines challenging is they try to start too big. Instead of taking on a large goal, start with increasing your steps in small increments each week, until you see yourself with a large jump in the number of steps you’re taking.

Before you begin, get a step tracker to log your daily steps on an average day. Aim to increase 1,000 steps a week until you reach your personal goal, whether that’s 5,000 steps, 7,000 steps or 10,000 steps.

Start with adding an evening or morning walk, using the routine building system mentioned above. Once that’s a habit, add another walk at another time of day. Soon you’ll be closer to reaching your step goals by building a little at a time.

3. Build walking into your workday

Are there places in your workday where you can be active?

This doesn't have to look like taking a mile walk on your lunch break. It can be small changes that add steps to your day and reduce the amount of time you spend sitting at your desk.

For instance, instead of sending an email to your coworker, can you walk across the office to talk in person? When you have a one-on-one meeting, if it doesn't require a computer, have the meeting while you and your coworker take a walk.

4. Grab a friend

You’ll be more likely to stick with your walking goals if you do it with a friend. Having a friend will be an accountability piece, and you’ll find the walking more enjoyable as you socialize.

While the goal of getting more steps doesn't have anything to do with intensity, you might find that you walk faster and get more cardio in along with your steps, and you track more in a shorter period of time. Check out more ideas for increasing your cardiovascular health while you’re also working to increase your steps.

How many steps per day should I walk to achieve better health?

To sum it up, there’s no evidence or research that shows 10,000 steps is the optimal walking goal for health. In fact, the magic number of steps for one person may be different from another’s.

But that doesn’t change the fact that more steps could be better. What’s true is that walking more carries many health benefits. 

If you’re getting 2,000 steps a day, increasing to 5,000 steps is going to improve your strength and cardiovascular health. But if you add a beneficial yoga routine to your exercise routine, and get fewer steps, you’re still getting increased health benefits.The key is to get more active.

Although we shouldn’t get caught up in the number of steps we should be taking, we can strive to get better each and every day, one step at a time.

Whether that means you aim for 6,000 steps a day or 5,000, there’s no standard number that every single person should be aiming for. It changes based on several factors. These factors include:

• Your current fitness and activity level
• Other activities you do to stay active
• Health conditions you might have

To determine the best step count to aim for, talk to your doctor, and then start walking!

Remember, 10,000 steps may be a bit of a health myth, but it has shed light on the fact that society lends itself toward sedentary living, and being more active is beneficial to your health.

This is just one of the many topics we’ll be tackling in the coming months. Be sure to watch for future articles where we’ll be breaking down more common health myths. 

We’ll be speaking on topics like whether apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight, and if an apple a day really does keep the doctor away! 

Stay tuned for more!

Start getting rewards for tracking your steps with Evidation

At Evidation, we’re here to help you get the rewards you need to get active and take better care of your health. We make it easy and fun to stay active, and let you earn cash at the same time.

Evidation connects with multiple step-tracking apps to reward you for making positive changes to your health. Whether or not you choose to reach for 10,000 steps a day, you can get rewards for making active choices. Sync your step tracker with Evidation, and start earning points you can redeem for cash.

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Many researchers generally agree that personality is made up of 5 unique traits: 

• Conscientiousness (organization, productiveness, responsibility)
• Extraversion (sociability, assertiveness; its opposite is Introversion)
• Agreeableness (compassion, respectfulness, trust in others)
• Openness (intellectual curiosity and creative imagination)
• Neuroticism (tendencies toward anxiety and depression)

Some people may have very high or low levels of any single trait, but most of us fall somewhere in-between.

‍What is conscientiousness?

‍Conscientiousness describes how organized, determined, and likely to follow norms and rules someone is. 

• Those with high levels of conscientiousness tend to work hard to achieve their goals and complete tasks they’ve started. They also tend to get higher grades in school and perform better in many jobs, but are more likely to experience perfectionism and fear of failure. 
• Those with low levels of conscientiousness tend to act spontaneously instead of making plans. While they may be a bit disorganized, they’re also more likely to be flexible with decision-making, and able to bounce back from setbacks. Overall, they may find it easier to look at the big picture than pay attention to details. 

‍Why does conscientiousness matter for health and health decision-making?

‍Research has found that people who are high in conscientiousness tend to live longer and healthier lives. Why? Because they tend to be rule followers, people who are high in conscientiousness are more likely to follow health recommendations. 

‍For example, on average, conscientious people drink less alcohol, eat healthier diets, and are more likely to wear seat belts.

Conscientious people may also have healthier coping mechanisms–that is, ways to deal with negative life events–than people who are less conscientious. 

For example, conscientious people are more likely to try to solve a difficult problem (e.g., going for daily walks to reduce cholesterol) than to use an emotional escape (e.g., watching television to distract from thoughts about cholesterol).

We recently offered our members the opportunity to take a survey to see where they fall on the spectrum for conscientiousness. If you’re an Evidation Member who took the survey and received your conscientiousness results, read on to understand what a high or low score may mean for your health. If you’re not a member and want to see results like these, download the Evidation app. 

‍What does my conscientiousness score mean for me?

Although research has found that conscientiousness relates to mental and physical health, having a low score doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to have poor health just as having a high score doesn’t mean you’ll never be ill. 

No matter what your level of conscientiousness, you can use what research has uncovered about personality and health to improve your own well-being. 

If you’d like to increase your conscientious behavior for better health, aim to set small, achievable goals. Below are some tips you may find useful: 

• Reflect on how to avoid or overcome obstacles. Imagine your desired future self and think about the obstacles you may face in becoming that person and how you might be able to overcome them. For example, if your goal is to become a less distracted driver, an obstacle might be that you’re tempted to look at your phone whenever you see an incoming message. One way to overcome this obstacle might be to set your phone to “do not disturb” when driving so that you can’t see the alerts and are reminded to break the habit of looking.
• Create “if-then” plans for handling situations related to your health goals. For example, if you want to reduce your tobacco consumption, your if-then plan may be: “If I crave a cigarette, then I’ll take a five minute walk instead.” 
• Track your progress and celebrate small victories. For example, if your goal is to walk more, set a small, specific, and achievable goal: “I’ll walk for 5 minutes every morning after I finish my coffee.” As your walks become a habit, increase the time, but be careful not to let missed walks discourage you–you can pick up again tomorrow!

…and don’t forget, start small to set yourself up for success!

Want to receive more personalized health insights? Complete cards daily in the Evidation app and, if you haven’t already, connect a compatible health app. 

Don’t yet have an Evidation account? Download the app today!

Most of us have heard the advice from experts: Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day for optimal health (the "8x8 rule"). After all, the average adult's body is made up of 50 to 70 percent water. But is the 8x8 rule accurate, or is this an arbitrary number? Hint: It's an arbitrary number, and it doesn't apply to everyone.

The fact is that we all need plenty of water, but deciding how much water to drink in a day depends on several different factors. Let's dive in and learn more about precisely how much water you need—based on your unique situation—and why it's important to stay hydrated.

How much water should you drink daily?

You likely weren't surprised to learn that the 8x8 rule isn't the ideal fit for everyone. So, if it's not eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, how much water should a person drink daily? It depends. While it's a simple question, the answer is complicated.

We do have a short answer to this question, but please keep reading to determine how much water you need based on your unique circumstances. According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, this is how much water adult men and women should drink every day:

• Males: 15.5 cups (125 ounces or 3.7 liters) per day
• Females: 11.5 cups (91 ounces or 2.7 liters) per day

Note that these figures for adults are for total daily fluid intake. We also get up to 20 percent of our daily fluids from the foods we eat, especially if we eat plenty of water-rich fruit and vegetables. Milk, coffee, tea, and most other beverages also count toward this recommended fluid intake.

The recommended water intake for children is slightly different, per the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The ideal amount depends on activity levels and medical conditions. Generally, children should drink this much water every day:

• Children aged 4-8: 40 ounces
• Boys aged 9-13: 64-80 ounces
• Girls aged 9-13: 56-72 ounces
• Boys aged 14-18: 88-112 ounces
• Girls aged 14-18: 64-80 ounces

Other factors impacting recommended fluid intake

Several other factors determine how much water you actually need to drink every day:

• Geographical location: If you live in a hot, dry, or humid region, you need to drink more water. People who live in high-altitude areas such as mountains also need more water to stay adequately hydrated.
• Environment: Spending time outdoors or working in overheated rooms may increase your water intake needs.
• Diet: People who drink a lot of caffeinated beverages may lose more water because of frequent urination. Equally important, you'll probably need more water if you eat a diet high in spicy, salty, or sugary foods.
• Season or outdoor temperature: Most people require more water during the warmer months because of perspiration, especially individuals who spend time outdoors.
• Overall health: Illnesses and medical conditions affect how much water you need. For example, when you have a fever or infection, you may lose more fluids through diarrhea and vomiting. Health conditions like diabetes also increase your hydration needs.
• Activity levels: If you're active or stand and walk more than average, you probably need more water than someone with a desk job. Also, if you do physical activities such as exercising or even just getting your steps in, you'll need to recover your water loss by drinking more.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding: People who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more water to keep themselves hydrated.

To calculate precisely how much water you need to drink every day, use this tool from the University of Missouri.

Benefits of drinking water throughout the day

Every single cell, tissue, and vital organ in your body requires water to function properly. Here are some of the many reasons to make sure you drink plenty of water:

• Heart health: Maintaining adequate hydration contributes to heart health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular failure.
• Brain health: Your brain is made up of about 73 percent water, and the lubrication helps with firing your hormones and neurotransmitters. Hydration has an effect on focus and concentration, but it also plays a role in your moods, memory, and emotional health.
• Weight maintenance: Drinking more water can curb your appetite and increase your metabolism. 
• Kidney health: Your kidneys use water to remove waste and toxins from the body. Kidneys also play a crucial role in maintaining the right balance of salt, water, and minerals in your body.
• Joint health: Joint cartilage is made up of about 80 percent water, so staying well-hydrated can help lubricate and cushion your joints.
• Energy levels: Poor hydration affects the flow of nutrients to our cells, resulting in fatigue. Stay well-hydrated to keep your energy level high.
• Immune system health: Staying hydrated helps us have a more robust immune system, which fights off diseases and illnesses.
• Skin health: Our skin consists of about 64 percent water. If your skin has to give up moisture to more critical bodily functions, it will become dry. This can eventually result in wrinkles and irritation.

What happens if you don’t drink enough water?

Staying adequately hydrated has a positive impact on nearly every aspect of your health. Not drinking enough water has an effect on your physical performance and can cause cognitive impairment, kidney and urinary problems, and an increased risk of various other health issues. Moreover, severe dehydration requires immediate care because it's a medical emergency.

You may be approaching dehydration if you're feeling lightheaded or overly tired and have a dry mouth. Signs of severe dehydration include:

• Dark urine: Aim for pale yellow urine. If your urine is the color of dark apple cider, you're likely dehydrated unless you are taking medication that changes the color of your urine.
• Extreme thirst: If you're feeling thirsty, you may already be approaching dehydration. But don't rely completely on thirst. Note that people aged 65 and older are at increased risk of dehydration because the body's thirst mechanisms begin to malfunction with aging. Newborns and infants also face a higher risk of dehydration because of their low body weight.

Can you drink too much water?

Most adults rarely drink too much water, but athletes such as marathon runners need to be careful about drinking too much as they attempt to prevent dehydration. If you drink too much water, your kidneys can't eliminate the excess water, causing your blood's sodium content to become diluted. The result can be a potentially fatal condition called hyponatremia. According to the National Kidney Foundation, life-threatening overhydration symptoms include:

• Confusion, headache, or fatigue
• Low blood pressure
• Nausea or vomiting
• Energy loss
• Muscle weakness
• Cramps or twitching
• Restlessness
• Seizures or coma

Staying hydrated for optimal health

How much water should you drink a day? We've laid out all of the different factors that affect how much H2O you should have every day, along with the most important water benefits. The answer is that it's different for everyone. Understanding your personal needs is the first step.

Evidation Members can earn points by tracking self-care activities, such as staying hydrated, walking, eating healthy food, sleeping, and more. Download our app today to get started.

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The opportunities to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health are endless. Whether you’re looking to check in, refresh, or relax, these self-care tips are guaranteed to give your mood a boost! 

Self-care tips for your mind, spirit, and body

Self-care is a term that's easily defined: caring for yourself. Essentially, anything you do to prioritize your mental, physical, and spiritual health is self-care. However, while the term is easy to define, putting self-care into practice isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

The world we live in demands a lot of us. Equally, as humans, we tend to demand a lot of ourselves. We're driven to perform, and there's nothing wrong with being productive or ambitious. The problem is that we too often neglect self-care when it stands in the way of getting more things done. 

Knowing how to do self-care will have a profound effect on your overall well-being. Moreover, self-care helps you live a more balanced life. By practicing self-care, we're making an investment in our current and future selves, and we become more resilient and better able to confidently navigate life’s challenges.

1. Move your body

Taking care of our bodies is an important priority, but self-care physical exercise isn't about doing intense workouts. It's OK to take a break in the middle of your day to move your body with activities like stretching or a leisurely stroll around the block. When we take a half hour for ourselves to recharge and rejuvenate—whether in the morning, the middle of the day, or after work—we release tension and give ourselves some love in a way that doesn't require us to take a shower afterward.

By stretching and moving our bodies, we also promote flexibility and balance. Moving the body more often is an investment in our long-term health and well-being. The key to making body movement a consistent self-care practice is to find something that's easily accessible for you. Maybe this means taking the stairs instead of an elevator, or listening to your favorite podcast while you take a stroll instead of watching TV in the evening.

2. Disrupt your routine for a day

Have you ever found an unexpected pocket of time in the middle of a busy day? For example, maybe you were at work and your boss spontaneously told the entire office to leave an hour early. Or perhaps you had plans that fell through at the last minute, and your introverted soul secretly rejoiced because you suddenly recaptured a few hours of time for yourself.

These disruptions are usually a good thing, and it's in these unexpected moments that adventures often arise. There's no reason you can't plan in advance to disrupt your day. You could take an afternoon off and use that time to browse a bookstore or visit a museum. In other words, feed your spirit in a way that’s atypical. Just be sure you make your planned disruption all about giving yourself some self-care. It can be tempting to pack this new-found block of time with the tasks that are waiting for you, but this time is all for you to do something that feeds your spirit.

3. Unplug from technology

Without question, technology adds value to our lives. The internet, computers, smartphones, and TV make us more productive and efficient, and these tools give us a world of knowledge at our fingertips. Whether for learning, working, or enjoying some relaxing free time with a favorite show, most of us are connected in one way or another at all times. Specifically, a study conducted by Penn State showed that Americans spend more than 10 hours a day staring at screens. Unplugging from technology for a day (or half a day) is one of the easiest ways to practice self-care.

When we unplug, we start to pay attention to our thoughts again, and we become more present. We begin to notice the world around us, whether inside our homes or outside in nature.

Unplugging isn't just about stepping away from your computer screen. Consider putting your phone on "do not disturb" so that only the most important people can get through to you. Turn your smartphone upside down on your desk or bedside table so you're not distracted by notifications. Even better, leave it on your desk as you go explore your world.

4. Schedule a time for worrying (budget, planning, news)

Most of us tend to reactively deal with issues and worries as they arise. For example, when a news alert pops up in our notifications, maybe we stop what we're doing to read it. Or we spend varying portions of our day on planning. This can be creating to-do lists, clearing out our email inboxes, and budgeting.

Everyone has issues to worry about. These issues can include financial worries, personal challenges you're facing, or staying on top of current events. Creating a window of time—an hour or two every weekday—to devote to these concerns frees up the rest of your day for more positive things, and you have more time for self-care. In fact, setting up a designated period for dealing with issues that come up is a form of self-care.

5. Document your life journey

We’re all taking our own unique journeys through life, and your path is unlike that of anyone else in the world. Documenting your journey—whether through a bound journal, scrapbook, or blog—is a great way to practice self-care. Journaling helps us process our thoughts, getting them out of our heads and onto paper. However, reflection doesn't have to be done with pen and paper or even via a blog. You can create a video journal and share your thoughts with others online or keep them for yourself. 

Maintaining an ongoing gratitude journal is also helpful. Consider spending time in reflection at the end of every day, jotting down the things that you feel grateful for. Or sit down at the end of the week and list the happenings that have affected you in a positive way. 

Another idea is to get creative with documenting your journey. Creating a scrapbook of your life's milestones serves as a tangible reminder of the paths you've taken, and creating artwork that's meaningful to you serves the same purpose. 

6. Indulge in reading fiction

Is reading the latest novel by your favorite author one of your guilty pleasures? If so, you already know one of the best things to do for self-care. According to research, reading fiction can benefit your memory, creativity, and cognitive abilities. 

So go ahead and immerse yourself in an engrossing story and allow yourself a good dose of healthy escapism. Read a genre you already love or try something completely new, such as historical fiction, romance, or literary fiction. 

7. Spend time with animals

Cuddling a furry kitten or playing fetch with a rambunctious puppy can be good for your health. When you spend time with animals, you’re connecting to another living creature, and these are creatures that are non judgemental and love unconditionally.

If you have a pet already, this isn’t news to you. However, if you don't have pets of your own, consider volunteering at your local animal shelter. According to science, giving back feels good, and when you combine volunteering with spending time with vulnerable animals, it’s a winning combination. For example, these havens for homeless animals often need volunteers to help socialize kittens so that they’re adoptable. It’s nearly impossible to focus on your worries when you’re spending time with vulnerable animals. And who knows? You may fall in love with one of these loveable creatures and have a new best friend. 

8. Take a nap

As children, most of us dreaded being put down for a nap. However, as a grown adult with lots of responsibilities, a nap probably feels like a luxury you can’t afford. The fact is, naps are excellent for self-care, but it’s also a great investment into your productivity. The key to an effective nap is to keep it short. If you let yourself sleep too long, you may feel groggy when you wake up. 

Experts agree napping for 20-30 minutes is ideal for a quick recharge. Find a quiet spot without distractions, using earplugs or an eye mask if you find it hard to sleep during the daytime. If you have a hard time sleeping in the middle of the day, use your naptime to do some reading. Just the act of lying still in a bed is refreshing, even if you don’t go to sleep. 

‍9. Clean up what you take in

A great way to clean up what you take in is to embrace a cleaner diet. The food you eat has a significant impact on your mental health and could be a game changer in your energy and mental clarity. Local farmers' markets provide healthy, affordable produce options and meats for you to enjoy. 

In addition to eating cleaner, another way to practice self-care is to reduce your caffeine intake. While coffee has health benefits, you can reap the same benefits by drinking half-caff or decaf coffee. 

Cleaner eating is a great start to self-care through eating, but don't forget to treat yourself now and then. When you're rewarding yourself with a healthy treat—such as a couple of pieces of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate—it definitely falls into the pamper and self-care category. 

‍10. Get outside 

When the sun is out and the weather is warm, you have ample opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, a nearby park, or your own backyard. Spending time outside moving your body or just relaxing are great ways to get fresh air in your lungs and vitamin D into your system. 

Especially if you live in a region where frigid winters and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are common, time outside in the warmer months can bolster your immune system and mental health while lowering your stress levels. It’s also a great time to explore where you live, visit small businesses, find local hikes, or enjoy a day at the beach. 

11. Give your home a refresh 

It’s always a great time to clean, declutter, and maintain your home inside and out. Small details add up to big results here, so you don’t have to worry about major projects and remodels unless they’re timely, affordable, and needed. Clearing cobwebs from corners and molding, washing pillows and bedding, and rearranging your furniture can make any space feel new again. 

If you want to take things a step further, consider going through your belongings one room at a time to sort out any broken or donatable items. Removing things like expired food, old children’s toys, or clothes that no longer fit can leave you with extra storage or even more space to leave open and refreshed in your home. 

If you’re a homeowner who finds yourself constantly stressed about maintaining appliances and avoiding a home emergency, look into appliance warranties that provide timely repair or replacement of items like your fridge and garage door opener. Also available for your home’s HVAC systems, these warranties can mean the difference between a broken air conditioner on a hot day and an efficient cooling system providing your family with fresh, clean air. This can contribute to your peace of mind all year long. 

12. Check in with yourself 

Outside or in, spending some time alone with yourself can do you a lot of good. Consider setting aside some quiet time to meditate, pray, journal, or rest. These moments alone can help you get in touch with how you’re really feeling and where your mental health is at, away from opinion and outside influence.

Perhaps the most important part of spending time alone is making sure you’re actually alone. This means removing any access you have to tech devices and finding a spot where you’ll remain uninterrupted. The more you practice this routine, the more comfortable you’re going to feel. Over time, these intentional moments can help you with goal-setting, communicating with others, and feeling more at ease. 

13. Spend time in community with others 

This might seem contradictory to what we talked about in the last section, but it’s important that you balance your moments alone with time spent building relationships. Whether you’re with family or friends, or in a community of faith, healthy relationships with others carry a lot of benefits for your mental and emotional health. 

This is a great opportunity for those who experience social anxiety to practice their grounding techniques and create a safe, communicative environment with others. If you’re looking to keep busy or get creative, consider checking out your local YMCA or community center for cooking classes, weekly bingo, or recreational sports leagues. Other great community activities include volunteering together, having a picnic, or doing a paint ‘n’ sip evening. 

14. Give yourself a break from social media

Just like you have a home for your body, your body is your home. If you’re cleaning and decluttering your physical space, consider making some changes to what you put into your body as well. It’s always good to evaluate things like your food intake, screen time, and media exposure. 

We all know how easy it is to get lost in our phones these days. Between TikTok providing commitment-free bursts of entertainment and social media constantly jarring us with opinions, gossip, and unrealistic expectations, it’s important to log off and stay in touch with reality. 

It’s a simple truth; we can’t thrive off of knowing every minute detail of someone else’s life, especially if they’re a complete stranger. If you’re interested in cutting back, you’re not alone in the challenge it poses. Remember to start small, remove your phone or TV from one meal a day, commit to a device-free friend hangout, or—if you’re feeling brave—turn your phone off for an entire day of exciting activities. 

Now that you know how to do self-care, what's the next step?

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Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute.

It’s one simple number that can tell you so much about how your heart is functioning and if you need to make any changes to your lifestyle or daily habits to improve it.

In most people, heart rate indicates how physically fit they are, based on how the muscle is functioning. Regular cardiovascular fitness, like running, walking, cycling, and swimming, can help lower your resting heart rate.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of tracking your heart rate, how to measure your heart rate and the various factors that can influence heart rate. In turn, you may discover small lifestyle changes you can make to improve your heart health. 

Importance of tracking heart rate

As a general rule, a lower resting heart rate typically indicates a healthier or more physically active person. A normal resting heart rate varies by age and how healthy a person is. Some health conditions can impact resting heart rate, including anemia, thyroid problems, asthma, cardiomyopathy, and others.

The information provided in this post is for generally healthy individuals. Anyone with any type of heart condition should consult their healthcare provider before following recommendations or health advice about their heart. 

If your healthcare provider recommends taking steps to lower your heart rate, there are many benefits to doing so. As your heart rate lowers, your heart will be able to more efficiently pump blood with each contraction and maintain a regular heartbeat throughout the day. This helps improve your overall heart health and many functions throughout your body, including quality of life and potentially increasing your lifespan. 

Tracking your heart rate is simple, non-invasive, and takes less than a minute to perform. You can track your heart rate sitting at your desk at work, from the couch at home, or anywhere else where you’re calm, relaxed, and not overexerting yourself.

Consistently tracking your heart rate gives you beneficial insights into how your body’s most important muscle is operating and if it’s working harder than it should be.

By knowing your heart rate, you can understand the steps you need to take in order to lower it through exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes.

Say your doctor recommends performing more cardio workouts to lower your heart rate. By regularly measuring your resting heart rate, you have a baseline to start with. After adding more cardio to your fitness routine, you can accurately evaluate how the exercise is lowering and improving your heart rate over time.

Tracking your heart rate can also help your doctor to detect any potential health risks or conditions that may be occurring in real-time, rather than playing catch up later on once they’re worse.

One simple measurement can tell you so much about your physical and emotional health. It all starts with knowing your resting heart rate and working with a medical professional to decide if lowering your heart rate is a beneficial decision for your health. From finding physical activities that work for your lifestyle to making simple diet changes, lowering your resting heart rate can have many positive impacts on your life. 

Normal resting heart rates by age

In healthy adults (over 18 years old), a healthy resting heart rate is anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm).

Children typically have a much higher heart rate than adults because their hearts are much smaller and have to beat faster.

Toddlers between ages 3 and 4 typically have a heart rate between 80 and 120 bpm, while newborn babies have a heart rate between 70 and 190 bpm.

How to calculate your heart rate

Measuring your heart rate can be done simply by checking your pulse.

Getting a consistent resting heart rate is best done when you are - you guessed it - resting. 

This means you should not calculate your resting heart rate immediately after you’ve eaten a meal, gone for a run, or done some other physical activity. There are occasions when individuals test their heart rate during exercise as well, but that won’t provide an accurate resting heart rate. Allow your body to calm down and regulate before measuring your resting heart rate to get an accurate reading.

Rest your index and third fingers on the side of your neck on your windpipe. To check your pulse on your wrist, place two fingers on the radial artery, which can be found on the thumb side of your wrist.

Whether checking on your neck or your wrist, wait a few seconds to find your pulse. Then, count the number of beats you feel in 15 seconds. Once you have that number, multiply it by 4 to discover your BPM (beats per minute). Feel free to check it multiple times to ensure you’re getting the correct reading.

There are many devices today that calculate heart rate for you at any given time. These include heart rate monitors, smartphones, smartwatches, and other wearables.

It’s a good idea to keep a consistent eye on your heart rate so you can detect early on if something seems awry. Knowing your normal resting heart rate will provide you with a baseline should your heart rate increase over time. This will make it easier to narrow down what may be going on in your body and find a solution.

Factors that impact heart rate

Many factors can impact heart rate in both negative and positive ways. These include pre-existing health conditions, your diet and lifestyle, the amount of exercise you get, and many other influences. Let’s discuss them here.

Activity levels

Individuals who prioritize physical and aerobic exercise generally have lower heart rates than those who do not. The heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly to grow stronger.

Getting consistent exercise, whether it’s a stroll around the neighborhood, swimming, cycling, or running, can help train and strengthen the heart. As you improve your exercise levels, the heart will be in better shape to pump blood and oxygen throughout the body, effectively lowering your heart rate. 

Blood pressure

Having a higher heart rate is often associated with high blood pressure. Individuals with high blood pressure have a much higher risk of developing heart disease at some point in their lives. By 2035, more than 130 million American adults are projected to have some form of cardiovascular disease; blood pressure and hypertension are two of the most significant risk factors associated with CVD.  

Stress

Physical and emotional stress takes a toll on the body in many ways, and heart rate is one of them. Stress and other emotions, including anxiety, depression, and fear, can elevate the heart rate to a potentially dangerous rate.

If an individual experiences chronic stress, where the stress hormone levels never fully regulate, that person can be at a higher risk of a heart attack.

Smoking

Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide, which reduces the oxygen in the blood and the heart. The heart needs oxygen to function, so the heart rate speeds up to produce more oxygen.

Smoking also tightens the major arteries in the heart and can cause an irregular heartbeat, forcing the heart to work harder and the heart rate to rise.

Diet

When it comes to diet, foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates can be difficult on the heart.

Eating heavy meals on a regular basis can impact a person’s cholesterol levels, along with heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of a heart attack. The body works hard to break down the food we eat so it can pass through the digestive system. The amount of blood needed for digestion impacts your heart rate after every meal. 

To avoid overeating, try drinking a glass of water before every meal. Fill your plate with fresh produce, clean protein, and limit sodium as much as you can. Make small changes over time to get better results in the long term. 

Caffeine Intake

That morning cup of coffee is a safe, healthy choice for most people, but if you are consuming caffeine in large amounts during the day, your heart rate may be impacted.

Caffeine stimulates the cells in the heart and makes it beat faster, speeding up blood flow and heart rate. If your caffeine consumption is impacting your heart rate, try to limit your intake to two cups of brewed coffee per day.

Dehydration

When your body is dehydrated, the heart reacts and tries to regulate body temperature by beating faster. Dehydration means less blood can circulate through the body, so the heart works overtime to try and catch up.

Proper hydration promotes efficient blood flow and helps all the body’s muscles work effectively, requiring less heavy lifting by the heart.

How can I lower my heart rate?

Tracking your heart rate is an effective way to improve cardiovascular health, alongside a healthy diet, regular exercise, and developing healthy habits that will improve your overall quality of life.

Whether any of these factors are relevant to your daily life or not, it’s a good idea to take a step back and reflect on the lifestyle and daily habits you’ve developed throughout your life. Think about how they may affect your heart rate if it’s inexplicably high and what you can do to lower it.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about the steps necessary to lower your heart rate, take small steps at first. 

The following information is designed to help healthy individuals make small adjustments in their lives to improve their heart rate and overall health. If you have symptoms or other concerns, please consult a healthcare professional before implementing any of these changes.

Start by increasing the amount of exercise you’re getting each week. Add two or three walks to your weekly schedule, whether in the morning before work or in the evening with a partner or your dog. Adding a few cardio exercises per week can greatly impact resting heart rate; it’s not a change you’ll see right away, but with time and commitment, you’ll notice the number dropping.

If you have a lot of stress in your life, take steps to reduce it in manageable ways. Many people swear by meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques like focused breathing, journaling, and mindful thinking.

Weight loss is one of the most effective ways to lower your resting heart rate. The larger the body is, the harder the heart has to work to pump blood and circulate oxygen. Consult with your doctor before beginning a weight loss plan, and set attainable goals that don’t feel overwhelming.

Other small steps you can take to lower your heart rate include getting adequate sleep, reducing caffeine intake and alcohol consumption, and quitting smoking.

Keep track of your health

Heart health is absolutely critical to living a long, happy life. An efficient cardiovascular system can help improve general health and make daily activities more enjoyable for people from all walks of life. 

Monitoring your heart rate may seem like a small action to take when it comes to the big picture, but it’s a great way to keep an eye on your cardiovascular health with minimal effort required.

Consistently measuring your heart rate can prevent bigger health problems down the road by staying proactive and knowing your numbers.

Are you looking for a way to keep track of your health and monitor daily metrics and important data points? With the Evidation app, you can get paid to take healthy actions on a daily basis and keep track of your health. Download the app today.