But is our step counter telling us the truth?
We use all kinds of technology to track our daily activity. But despite all this technology, errors still occur.
For example, people actually take about twice as many steps per day as the official statistics suggest. This is because steps taken while walking around the house or nearby are often not included in these figures.
According to data from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Dutch Statistics Office (CBS), people walk an average of 0.49 kilometers per day in and around their homes. In reality, it is closer to one kilometer per day, according to the mobility knowledge platform CROW-KpVV, which analyzed existing research on walking behavior.
We can track our steps using smartphones, activity trackers, or smartwatches. For many people, this serves as a daily activity benchmark — but unfortunately, the data is not entirely accurate.
“Walking should be taken more seriously,” says researcher Jurgen de Haan in De Telegraaf.
“Especially because half of the Dutch population does not have access to a car. When these people want to go out, they often rely on cycling or walking.”