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Health Mythbusting: is 10,000 steps a day really the magic number?
10,000 steps is the magic number…or is it? We take a look at the science behind this common health myth and break down how many steps you really need in our latest post.
From maintaining a healthy weight to strengthening bones and muscles, walking is a powerful way to take care of your body. According to the CDC, walking is the most popular form of aerobic physical activity. Many of us have heard that we should aim for 10,000 steps a day to really see health benefits. We checked out the science behind the 10,000-step rule—and what we found might surprise you.
In this 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 came from, whether it truly is the magic number, and how you can boost the number of steps you get in a day to improve your fitness.
Where did the 10,000 steps a day idea come from?
Whether you heard about the 10,000-step rule from a friend, or read about it on a fitness app, this message has been circling the health community for some time now. Oddly, there doesn’t appear to be any scientific data that 10,000 steps a day is the optimal goal for health. It's believed that the now-arbitrary goal was developed as a marketing tactic by a Japanese pedometer company in the 1960s.
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've decided that you're dedicated to hitting 10,000 steps per day, understanding the amount of time you'll need to get your steps in can be an important part of fitting your goal into your schedule. Depending on your pace, elevation changes as you're walking, and other factors, it'll take between one and two hours to walk 10,000 steps.
This doesn't mean that you need to block out two hours each day to walk, however. Small changes—like taking phone meetings while walking, going for a stroll after dinner, or making a point to move for a few minutes every hour—can seriously add up.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
The number of miles you’ll cover with 10,000 steps can vary from person to person based on stride length. That said, for the average adult, 10,000 steps covers about 5 miles (8 kilometers).
Increasing movement is beneficial, whether you hit a 10,000 step goal or not. 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 daily distance coverage falls short of your 5-mile goal.
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.
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. Paluch explained that just increasing your steps incrementally could be helpful to your cardiovascular health. Rather than focusing on hitting an arbitrary number of steps each day, it may make more sense to work to increase your step goal by 5 or 10% each week until you get to a number that feels challenging-yet-beneficial for your fitness level.
How many steps a day should you be getting?
Taking less than 4,000 steps a day is considered a low level of physical activity. If you’re regularly walking less than that, and 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.
The number of steps you should take each day depends on several factors.
Your age, health, current fitness levels, and fitness goals all play a role in determining the number of steps you should be taking each day.
The CDC’s recommendations for the amount of physical activity you should aim for are based on your current fitness level.
- Inactive - No extra physical activity taking place besides the basic movements required for daily life.
- Insufficiently active - Less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week
- Active - 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week
- Highly active - More than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week
What is moderate-intensity exercise?
Moderate-intensity exercise is anything that gets your heart pumping while increasing your respiratory rate (breathing). Brisk walking, biking, swimming, jogging, playing basketball, jumping rope, and playing volleyball all fall into the moderate-intensity category.
According to a study published in the medical journal The Lancet, people over the age of 60 who regularly walked about 7,000 steps per day cut their mortality rate in half. Younger people who walked about 8,000 steps a day saw a similar dip in mortality.
If you deal with certain health conditions, it's important to talk with your doctor before you begin a new exercise program.
How to add more steps to your day
Making small, sustainable changes that you can stick with over time can help you steadily increase your steps. Try these tips to add more movement to your day:
- Take the stairs. Taking the stairs whenever you can allows you to get your heart pumping without taking away from your normal daily routine.
- Walk with a dog or friend. Taking some time out of your day to walk your dog or to take a stroll with friends can be a great way to clear your head while also adding in more steps and getting your dog to exercise. If you work in an office, talk with your coworkers about heading out for a 10-to-15-minute stroll after you finish lunch to help add some movement to your day.
- Make parking decisions that help you move. 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. Podcasts can be an engaging and fun way to get news, learn something new, or check out a great story. Saving your podcasts for when you're walking can help you add more movement and help you get more exercise.
- 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 to your nightly routine. If you don't have a treadmill, consider looking into a walking pad—a small, foldable option that can help you increase your steps without shelling out for a major piece of gym equipment.
- 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.
- Talk on the phone and walk. If you need to take a phone call, pop in your earbuds and walk the neighborhood while you talk.
If walking all of your steps at once feels daunting, break up your walks. 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
A routine is the key to being more active. Once you’re in the habit of moving more, you’ll find it easier to get a higher step count each day.
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 - A cue triggers your brain to get into workout mode. 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 repeatedly, such as heading out for your walk.
- 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. At Evidation, we put your rewards on autopilot. After you hit a reward threshold, you'll be able to turn in your points for gift cards or cash rewards.
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 listen to a certain playlist daily, grab some earbuds and listen while you walk. You’ll add steps more quickly and not have to add something new to your daily routine.
2. Start small and build
Choosing an overwhelming goal is one of the mistakes many people make when starting new exercise routines. 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.
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 necessarily have to look like taking a mile walk on your lunch break. Small changes 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, 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 coworkers 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 walk 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?
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. 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.
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, the 10,000 step goal 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.
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 strive 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.
How Evidation Members Are Hacking Together Home Workouts
Exercise tips, routines, and links to favorite home workout videos from our Evidation Memebers
Though many people generally exercise at home, we know that there are many others who have had to recreate their regular exercise habits during this time of sheltering in place. We polled our Evidation community, and 70% of members who responded said they have been finding new ways to exercise or stay active during the coronavirus pandemic. We then asked our members to share some of their exercise tips, routines, and links to their favorite home workout videos and helpful stretches to inspire others.
Here are a few ways you can exercise at home:
- If you do not have a home gym set up or any weights, you can find ways to use household items to get a great exercise in.
- Similarly, instead of buying separate weights to create your own home gym, you can also purchase exercise video games for the whole family to join on the fun.
- Online videos and streaming sites like YouTube are common places that Achievers are getting exercise routines from. Here’s a list of fitness gyms and studios that are offering free classes.
- Fitness apps like Fitbit or MyFitnessPal also offer exercise tips for at home workouts and is also an easy way to keep track of your progress as well.
- Pinterest has been a popular site for inspiration and tips since Achievers are able to pin multiple resources to one place. Here’s an example of the many you can find.
- Zumba is an exercise-dance program that has been great to do in groups or by yourself. Here’s a resource to do Zumba at home.
- You can search social media platforms to find inspiring fitness instructors or live exercise sessions. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat are easy places to start!
- Create your own workout routine or do the alphabet challenge by doing bodyweight exercises that spell out your name. You can start out with your name, your pet’s name, or anyone else in your household!
- If you’re looking for other ways to get your cardio in, you can try jump rope exercises. It’s a simple, but effective way to increase your heart rate and work out multiple areas.
- Another helpful exercise is stretching your muscles, it’s a great way to start or end your exercise session.
- For Achievers who may have limited mobility or who have chronic pain, these exercises and stretches are a great way to keep your body moving.
- If you’re looking for other ways to improve your flexibility or range of motion, yoga and pilates can be a fun way to stretch your muscles. It’s great for anyone at any difficulty level!
- Other exercises like barre offer a mixture of isometric holds to increase strength and also improve posture. Barre also requires little to no equipment!
- Whether you own a regular bike or a stationary bike, biking is one exercise that is easy on the joints and helps reduce stress. Here’s a few tips on how to make biking more fun.
- Practicing tai chi and breathing exercises offers many benefits for both your mental and physical health. You can stream videos to follow along and do them on your own once you learn the motion.
Take Two: Creative Coronavirus Meals
We've had so many great community submissions that we wanted to round up a few more to share in our second recipe digest.
Coronavirus has changed our usual cooking routine! We hope that turning to the kitchen to try a new recipe has helped create some calm during an otherwise crazy time. We had so many great community submissions last week that we wanted to round up a few more to share in our second recipe digest.
Chicken Centered Recipes:
- Chicken Bread Recipe
- Spicy Basil Thai Chicken
- Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Chicken Salad
- One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini
Veggie Friendly Meals:
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Socca Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pesto
- Easy Hummus
- Chickpea and Spinach Curry
- Paleo Sweet Potato Toast
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Avocado Slaw
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Baking Goodness:
- 3 Ingredient Flatbread
- 30 minute dinner rolls
- Banana Bread and an oatmeal banana bread variety (for an extra twist banana coffee cake!)
- Creamy 1 ingredient banana ice cream
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Squares
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes
As a reminder, we’ve pinned all of these to our Creative Coronavirus Meals board on Pinterest.
The Impact of Coronavirus on Cooking
We're blown away by the number of recipes our members have shared with us, so we decided that to reveal a series of recipes over the next few weeks.
We recently polled our community to ask if they had become more creative with their meals since the coronavirus. We heard back and 55% of members who responded said yes. We then followed up to see what types of recipes and food hacks are keeping them happy and healthy during this time.
We were overwhelmed by the number of recipes shared, so we decided that we’ll reveal a series of recipes over the next few weeks. We’ll curate all of our top community picks on our Creative Coronavirus Meals Pinterest board.
For our first edition of crowdsourced favorites, check out these go-to easy bites and soothing soups.
Go-To Easy Bites:
- Deviled Eggs
- 15 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness
- Self-Quarantine Recipes from the New York Times
- 5 ingredients or less high protein smoothies! (+a green smoothie)
- Easy Overnight Oats
Soothing Soups:
Vegetarian:
- Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
- Mexican Lentil Soup
- Alison Roman’s Chickpea Stew
- Spicy Instant Pot Taco Soup
- Cabbage Soup
Non-Vegetarian:
- Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
- Quick and Easy Chinese Noodle Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
- Buffalo Black Bean Chilli
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Self-Care Tips from our Evidation Members
We know that together we can always achieve more. That’s why we were glad to hear from so many members when we sent out a poll about self-care tips during coronavirus.
We know that together we can always achieve more. That’s why we were glad to hear from so many members when we sent out a poll about self-care tips during coronavirus.
We received over 75,000 responses and decided to consolidate some of the top themes we saw across our community to gauge how Evidation Members were practicing self-care during this time.
Here’s a list of the top 20 activities and suggestions that we saw!
- Make sure to eat and drink immune boosting food and beverages. For a list of suggestions, check out this article from CNN Health.
Teaser: Carrots, kale, and apricot are good sources of beta carotene and oranges, strawberries, and broccoli are good sources of Vitamin C. - Take the time that you need when possible to squeeze in a nap to get enough rest.
- Make a morning and evening routine to help create some structure during your day.
- Watch a comedy show to make sure to create laughter during your day. Check out some of the top stand up comedy shows on Netflix.
- Create a gratitude list or even download a Gratitude Journal app to document positive things that happen throughout your day.
- Take out your favorite board game to play with friends or family. Check out a few ideas here!
- Plant some seeds or work on a gardening project. Watch this YouTube video from Epic Gardening for ideas (including how to use a water bottle to make a container garden)
- Take a long bath and grab a face mask or two! If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make a natural face mask with ingredients at home.
- Check out one of these online resources to print out coloring books to take a mini break in the middle of your day.
- Spend time catching up on reading. If you’re a parent, check out some free content and stories that Audible has made available here.
- Stretch daily! Here’s a quick yoga video for when you need a mid work-day break.
- Work towards a goal even if you’re stuck indoors. For example, try a new recipe every week or make it a point to connect via video chat with a friend or family member every few days.
- Up your podcast game! Check out this list from Esquire on top 2020 podcasts to listen to.
- Find a class that you can take online! Here’s a list of popular classes from Coursera that are available for free online.
- For parents — rally kids together to write chalk messages on the sidewalk! We’ve heard about neighborhoods spreading positivity to others through sidewalk chalk messages, and we’re inspired by trending #chalkwalks.
- Try a crafting project like knitting or crocheting to calm your nerves. Check out this tutorial on how to learn how to knit.
- Limit your news intake. Try and stay updated, but not inundated with new stories.
- Be sure to drink lots of water!
- Have a dance party at home or virtually with co-workers! Our team has a weekly 5-minute dance party.
- Jump on the jigsaw puzzle bandwagon. Grab a puzzle from your local bookstore.
How to Protect Your Mental Health and Find Distractions During the Coronavirus
We know that this particular time is unnerving and challenging during the coronavirus, so we wanted to share some tips and tricks from our team to help you find some calm throughout your day.
We know that this particular time is unnerving and challenging during the coronavirus, so we wanted to share some tips and tricks from our team to help you find some calm throughout your day.
- Connect with your friends and family through virtual lunches or even a happy hour! Regularly check in with your loved ones to see how they’re doing. Video chat can help you feel more connected.
- Download a mindfulness app to get a daily or weekly moment of meditation in! Don’t forget that Stop, Breathe, Think connects to Achievement, so you can continue to track your progress! We were also glad to hear that Headspace has unlocked a series of specially curated content for consumers who have an account called Weathering the Storm. You can preview content here. Mindfulness app Calm has an online portal available that you can check out as well!
- Stuck inside most of the day? Schedule a quick walk or grab some time to be amidst nature. Be careful to maintain social distancing during this break. Don’t forget that if you have a backyard, it can be a quick escape during the day. One of our team members played “I Spy” with her little ones when they did a walk around the neighborhood.
- Take a virtual tour of a museum while you’re staying in. Read about how these 12 famous museums offer tours that you can take from the comfort of your couch.
- Give Bullet Journaling a try to help organize thoughts. Follow this Pinterest board for ideas or prompts. Journaling can be a relaxing way to express how you’re feeling and prompts can help you take the time to reflect.
- Take breaks from reading and viewing the news and grab your favorite book or listen to a good podcast. Check out this list of podcasts for book lovers.
- Livestream music from famous venues like the Metropolitan Opera and keep an eye on Global Citizen on Instagram to hear about live concerts that famous musicians are live streaming for fans.
- Tune in to an online workout! Check out 15 Minute Relaxing Yoga for Anxiety and Stress Relief, 5 Best Chair Cardio Exercises, or this 7 Minute Ab Workout to catch a good healthy break when you’re indoors.
Behind the Behaviorgram
Behaviorgrams help us put data into context and extract additional insights from it. For example, we can more easily analyze how heart rate changes when people are in a workout session, or the effect that talking on the phone has on walking pace.
Learn What a Behaviorgram Is and How It Works
We have a talented team of data scientists and researchers focused on providing individuals the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research. When our members participate in research, the activity data that they consent for use in the research helps our team study a number of health behaviors — everything from how to measure chronic pain to better understanding the individual migraine experience.
Analyzing and contextualizing the behaviors of thousands of participants with millions of data points is not an easy task. Over the years, this analysis lead to the creation of something that we have internally named “behaviorgram”. The behaviorgram of a person is a collection of their data streams over the course of some time. A behaviorgram can be quite simple and consist of only a few data streams from a single device (such as heart rate and steps from an activity tracker) or it can be quite large and include multiple data streams from multiple sources. A behaviorgram can be visualized much like an ECG, and below, we provide a glimpse as to what this visual may look like.
In our studies, we may start with activity data from a Fitbit or Apple Watch and then layer on additional data such as survey responses (e.g., mood or feelings during the day) and contextual information (e.g., weather, air quality, and the time of the day). Dense behaviorgrams give us richer pictures of someone’s behavior over time. As a reference, the behaviorgrams we created for the research on Alzheimer’s disease we did with Eli Lilly and Apple in August contained dozens of data streams and included steps counts, walking pace, sleep depth, workout sessions, and many others.
Behaviorgrams help us put data into context and extract additional insights from it. For example, we can more easily analyze how heart rate changes when people are in a workout session, or the effect that talking on the phone has on walking pace. It also allows us to derive new data channels from the existing ones. For instance, while MyFitnessPal already reports how many grams of protein and calories are eaten, we often find it useful to layer in a channel that represents the percentage of calories that came from protein. Similarly, we often add a new data stream that represents heart rate during periods of inactivity (i.e., no steps).
What would actually help you visualize a behaviorgram? A picture of course! We wanted to illustrate that there are small moments throughout your daily life that can have a significant impact on your health, and we were fortunate enough to get consent to share one of our colleague’s visual health journey via the various apps they have connected on Evidation. Looking at their data from the last 6 months, we tracked down a few key dates where we noticed specific behavior changes and asked them to add labels to the behaviorgram on what happened in their life on those days. Sure enough — in a week with less sleep, we uncovered they were abroad, working until late to match California time and then having troubles falling asleep due to jet lag and an uncooperative baby. You can see other activity trends like sightseeing with friends in Singapore and New York on high steps count days, frequent awakenings in sleep during a night spent on an international flight, and a spike in logged calories when they had leftover sweets for breakfast. You can also see that they were able to sleep longer when the baby was away with the grandmother. We got a good laugh out of the observation that the company offsite was a high fat/protein-heavy day!
Based on weather data, the highest precipitation day is low in activity! Though some of our team is based in sunny locations, it highlights that weather does impact our activity. Related, given the air quality impact that the Wildfires had in California this year, you can see that during the time of the fires 11/25 to 12/14, they did not spend much time outside and took some time off from exercising (with the exception of their time in New York!)
Keep an eye out for more references to behaviorgrams from us! Our hope is that they’ll begin to become a tool by which you contextualize different actions that you take. We also know that big life changes can impact your habits and health. That’s why we’re planning on sharing some personal stories from our team on the journey to being a new parent and its impact on health routine. We also want to capture events like life with a newborn to highlight trends that our specific team members are experiencing to show activity patterns during the first few months of these very significant milestones.
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Evidation Member Stories
No matter where you are in your health journey, we want to commend you for taking steps to become a better version of you.
We’re back to share more about the growing community of Evidation Members. No matter where you are in your health journey, we want to commend you for taking steps to become a better version of you. Over the last year, we’ve asked members to share their stories with us. Since then, we’ve received more than 160,000 stories! Here’s a look at some of the many stories members have shared — hopefully one of them will help inspire you as they’ve inspired us.
Whether you’re looking for a source of motivation, a community to learn from, or are here for a few extra bucks, we’re happy to be a part of your journey! Here’s another look at some of your fellow Evidation Members and their stories:
“A friend told me about Evidation which I’ve been using for quite a while. It gives me credit for my daily exercise, weigh-ins and tracking my food which I do daily. It helps keep me in the zone and best of all has paid me for my efforts! What’s better than that? I just had a Grand Opening in Oceanside, NY for my business, Restorative Wellness and Weight Loss. I plan to share this app with all my clients. What a great motivator!” — (Wendy C., New York)
“I have been a part of a research study on breakthrough pain through Evidation, and it’s really helped me to be more aware of my body and what kind of triggers are causing my pain. It has also caused me to look into other ways of relieving my pain, such as yoga and deep stretching, and to gain some muscular structure back that I had lost before.” — (Stacy M., Tennessee)
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“I have been using Evidation to help me stay on top of my health and fitness. I have a busy schedule and it’s hard to stay on top of things. In 2016, I was 227 lbs, very depressed and unhappy. After making several lifestyle changes, I have gotten down to 166lbs and maintained that since 2018. Evidation helps me stay on top of why health by keeping me accountable.” — (Nicole M., California)
“Through the research projects and daily accountability, Evidation has supported my increased health outcomes. By participating in a chronic pain study, daily loggings have helped my provider and I to track some of the triggers that have affected my pain levels. Additionally, being accountable to the overall app gives me motivation to get outside my comfort zone and get out and move even when I am not physically feeling like it.” — (Karen K., Colorado)
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“Using Evidation really helped me during a time of my life when I was down. We moved from my hometown and I was so sad, depressed, and motivated. I was in a funk, I felt lost, and did not want to leave my house. No friends or close family. When I started my health journey I got out of the house to attend group exercise and made friends. Not only did I have an online community cheering me on, I stepped out of my comfort zone again and felt like a better version of myself. Thanks for keeping me accountable!” — (Christina W., Texas)
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“I have been using the Evidation App for a few years now and I love how I build points for demonstrating regular and consistent healthy practices. As a Tour Director and Travel Professional, it’s great to know that regardless of the activity or destination I may be in there is still an app that will incentivize me to staying fit. Through the use of this app, I have been able to climb the Great Wall of China, hike Machu Picchu, Swim between Thailand islands, and walk on African Safaris. Thank you Evidation for making this app user friendly, simple, and personable.” — (Justin C., Arizona)
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“I am 64 years old. I want to be a future fun Grandpa and with the support of Evidation, I will be able physically as well as emotionally to prepare for my next adventure. This is why I hike and walked so much.” — (Rusty L., Indiana)
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“The Evidation App has allowed me to accurately track certain aspects of my health and fitness activities, which allows me to create better habits. Seeing my progress and stats turn into points both extrinsically and intrinsically rewards me. This part of the app, as well as reading interesting health studies has huge, positive impacts for future health gains.” — (Kathleen E., Florida)
“From looking at my lifestyle, my health wasn’t what I need it to be. Evidation helps me create a goal for me to challenge myself to get active and to be more involved with the local area. I have been going out for walks, participate in a gym, and being more aware of the foods I eat. With a group of friends, it becomes a fun activity! In a way, I hope my choice in exercise also inspire others to participate in fitness.” — (Hanh N., Arkansas)
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“I have been using Evidation for a while now, and the motivation and support I get from this app is unparalleled! It’s a constant reminder to get up and get moving, practice my yoga and meditation, and be that vibrant example of a holistic, balanced life for my daughter. The surveys and app functionality are a fun touch, too!” — (Meggie C., Idaho)
Here’s to our Heart Healthy Members!
This February, in honor of Heart Health Awareness Month, we partnered with our data science team to look at patterns of some of our heart healthiest members.
This February, in honor of Heart Health Awareness Month, we partnered with the data science team at Evidation to look at patterns of some of our heart healthiest members.
Resting heart rate (your pulse rate while awake, relaxed, and stationary) has been shown in several large epidemiologic studies to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in both men and women. Given the importance of resting heart rate for heart and overall health, the team looked at all of the Evidation Members who contributed resting heart rate data in 2018. We explored the trajectory of resting heart rate from week to week and selected a handful of members that significantly dropped their resting heart rate over the year. The individuals we selected had a wide range of resting heart rates to begin the year.
Of the members we selected, 96% were within the normal range of 60–100 beats per minute. According to the Harvard Health blog, “while a heart rate is considered normal if the rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, most healthy relaxed adults have a resting heart rate below 90 beats per minute.” Only 4% had resting heart rates below 60 beats per minute at the beginning of the year. Resting heart rates below 60 bpm are often indicative of people who get a lot of physical activity. Near the end of the year, over 30% had reduced their resting heart rate to 60 beats per minute or lower. Overall, we observed an average drop of 11 beats per minute, which corresponds to an average decrease of 15% from the beginning of the year.
We then asked these resting heart rate improvers to tell us a little bit more about what they did in order to better understand their habits throughout the year — everything from how often they checked their heart rate, to the frequency of their workouts, to dietary changes they had made throughout 2018.
Here’s what we found!
Most members who had a significant decrease in resting heart rate in 2018 also noticed the same thing!
Most of our heart healthy members said they checked their resting heart rate frequently — if not every day, then at least a few days per week.
The most common changes that Evidation Members made to their diet included the following:
- Adjusting their portion sizes
- Limiting consumption of fast food
- Consuming more vegetables and fruit
The most common types of physical activity included:
- Walking
- Lifting weights
- Running
- Hiking
- Yoga
When we took a closer look at activity data, we actually saw an increase of 871 steps per day (12.3% increase) for members who had lowered their heart rate. Those who responded that they did more walking in 2018 truly did up their step count.
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Evidation Members overwhelmingly said that they had lost weight, made changes to their diet, exercised more often and regularly, and focused on maintaining a healthy weight when sharing some of the changes that they made to their lifestyle in 2018.
In fact, when we took a look at weight tracking for our heart healthy members, the data matched up with the responses. For those who tracked their weight at least once per week for 30 weeks or more, the average weight loss was 12 pounds (a 6% decrease on average).
Not surprisingly, mental health and improved sleep can significantly influence an individual’s overall quality of health. Did you know that sticking to a sleep schedule can help you improve your heart health?
Our community of heart healthy members have recommended to others the value of maintaining a healthy diet, exercising more, and managing stress as tips to improve heart health.
For advice on how to take action today to make your lifestyle a little healthier, check out these additional suggestions from some trusted sources:
- Heart Healthy Recipes from the NIH
- CDC Heart Month Feature from the CDC
- Taking Care of Our Hearts, Together from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
The Big Picture: Are Evidation Members’ Data Scientifically Valid?
Our scientists analyzed activity and sleep metrics from more than 600 members using a global health assessment tool to assign scores for physical and mental health measures.
You use Evidation to conveniently monitor progress toward personal health goals. By making datasets available to scientists, Evidation also is helping uncover insights to benefit people with multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and other conditions. So, it’s important for you and researchers alike to know that Evidation's quality of life measures stand up.
Prior research conducted with activity trackers has shown that some behaviors (such as inconsistent sleep patterns) are associated with lower levels of physical and mental well-being. While this seems logical, we wanted to see if data collected via Evidation’s unobtrusive, hands-free methods have the same correlations.
Our scientists analyzed activity and sleep metrics from more than 600 Evidation Members using a global health assessment tool to assign scores for physical and mental health measures. (Controls included age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, and medical markers of anxiety and depression.) The 600 members involved in this analysis included members who had self reported having anxiety and depression and were a part of the Mental Health Study.
In this analysis of activity and sleep metrics, here’s what our researchers found:
- Two-thirds of members who participated in this study had scores above the median level for both physical and mental health. One-third scored below the median.
- Those with higher scores were more physically active, walking an average of 1,674 more steps and burning 100 more calories daily than those with scores below the median level.
- Individuals with lower scores demonstrated less consistent sleep than those with scores above the median.
The conclusion? Passive apps where most information is collected automatically can accurately characterize key quality of life metrics — good news for you and for scientists.
An ongoing, year-long study continues to examine a subset of member activity and sleep data, plus self-reported quality of life, mental health, and use of health care resources. Stay tuned as we share more on these findings, plus future research participation opportunities.