Bad News: 10,000 Steps Isn't Enough to Boost Your Metabolism and Here's Why

Fitness tracker lovers, you're in for a big surprise.

Although the doctor-recommended advice for number of steps has been five miles — 10,000 steps — a new study reports that the number might be too low.

According to a study published in the New York Times, researchers found that 15,000 steps a day, or seven miles, is linked to keeping metabolism balanced and fending off long-term health problems.

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The study compared the statistics of people who worked in an office versus mail carriers, a job where you essentially walk all day. Sitting all day at a desk was linked to a higher BMI and cholesterol, in addition to a slower metabolism.

Although the study was fairly limited — with just 55 office workers and 56 mail carriers — the results were straightforward. Clearing seven miles a day has its health benefits.

"It takes effort, but we can accumulate 15,000 steps a day by walking briskly for two hours at about a 4 mph pace," said Dr. William Tigbe, a physician and public health researcher at the University of Warwick. "Our metabolism is not well-suited to sitting down all the time."

Will you set a new mileage number on your fitness tracker?