Want to Lower Your Risk of Death? Do This 4,000 Times a Day

If you have a fitness tracker like an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, you’re already well aware of that most coveted and enviable goal of 10,000 steps a day. What you’re probably less aware of is the fact that the walking goal meant to encourage you to be more active throughout the day actually originated as a marketing ploy in the 1960s by a Japanese pedometer manufacturer.

The truth is you don’t need 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy—and the actual number of steps is actually far lower.

A comprehensive analysis published Tuesday in the journal European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that walking at least 3,967 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from any cause. The authors also found that as little as 2,337 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases.

Read more at The Daily Beast.