Forget 10,000 steps - 'minutes moved' is the more important target, experts say

• Focusing on overall daily movement could help you meet your health goals better than a daily step count, doctors say.
• It's a myth that you need to walk 10,000 steps a day to be healthy.
• The key is not to be too sedentary.

10,000 steps is a daily goal for many, but it might be more beneficial to think about how much you're moving overall, according to health experts.

While walking is good for you, 10,000 steps is an arbitrary measurement, and research suggests that 7,000-8,000 steps a day is usually enough to have health benefits, Insider's Gabby Landsverk previously reported.

Experts say what's most important is moving enough over the course of the day, whether it's walking up the stairs or cleaning.

According to Harvey Lawton, personal trainer and founder of The Movement Blueprint, daily activity is the "unsung hero" when it comes to expending energy.

"While a daily step goal can offer a tangible target for many, looking at daily activity as a whole can offer a more detailed picture in relation to your body's health and the requirements needed to achieve your fitness goals," Lawton told Insider.

He says people can ease common pains in the body by taking a few minutes every hour to stand, move around, and mobilize their joints.

"Moving in varying ways and through different planes of motion allows you to learn about your body, your joint health, and where weaknesses may lie - something that may not necessarily be highlighted nor corrected by achieving a daily step goal alone," Lawton said.

Daily activity counters, like the Oura ring, give users a goal based on how much they move and how well rested they are, Caroline Kryder, Science Communications at Oura, told Insider. She said counting steps misses out on many other activities that people do.

"Steps might only make up a small portion of activity for someone and misses the entire picture of your movement throughout the day."

A 2016 meta-analysis, analyzing nine studies of over 700,000 participants in total, found that regular movement - whether steps or otherwise - can help decrease the risk of disease, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain.

Updated fitness trackers can provide more information about movement and recovery

Step counters are common, but the latest activity trackers measure much more and focus on balancing recovery with movement.

Devices, like Oura or the Whoop strap, track subtle movements like washing the dishes, yard work, or doing chores around the house, in a bid to give users a more rounded picture of their health.

Amanda Paluch, PhD, a kinesiologist and assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health & Health Sciences, told Well + Good that she encourages focusing on your "minutes moved" rather than stressing about steps.

"Sometimes, it's a really busy day and I have a really messy house, so I just book it around the house with my vacuum for 20 minutes and that feels like a win. And other days, I'm moving because I'm running around with my kids," Dr. Paluch said.

While 10,000 steps certainly isn't bad, the main goal is not to be too sedentary and to stay consistent, according to Dr. Paluch.

Walking is still "an incredible form of movement and meditation," according to Lawton.

"However by coupling this with daily movement that sees you squat, hinge, lunge and rotate your body, the more your daily activity will benefit your longer term fitness goals - and enable you to lead a pain-free life," he said.