After being reluctant to do so for years, this bracelet finally allows you to count your steps

This is a rather basic functionality that the connected bracelet manufacturer Whoop has just added. Already capable of analyzing stress, activity or sleep, the Whoop 4.0 now benefits from measuring the number of steps.

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It must be said that the functionality was particularly requested by Whoop users who wanted to use it as a simple pedometer. However, for years, the manufacturer had refined its arguments to justify the absence of this functionality.

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No, you don’t need to take 10,000 steps a day to be healthy

Whoop long refractory to the pedometer function

On a page now offline, Whoop indicated:

Is step counting important? Simply put, no. Counting steps ignores two very important elements of exercise: intensity and other movements.

The firm also indicated that not all steps are equal: “ Taking 10,000 steps while running is obviously a better exercise than 10,000 steps while walking. More specifically, a brisk walk is better than a slow walk ».

However, it ultimately appears that Whoop has changed his mind — or at least given in to his customers’ demands.

The number of steps added everywhere in the application

In a blog post, the manufacturer now indicates that it supports the number of steps due to its impact on user health:

Previously, Whoop did not include step counting because we considered that this metric lacked value for assessing overall health and cardiovascular fitness. While counting steps is not particularly useful in assessing cardiovascular fitness, a growing body of scientific research has shown that taking around 8,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of many diseases.

Furthermore, in a publication on LinkedIn, the boss of Whoop, Will Ahmed, specifies that the number of steps is not the alpha and omega of health measurement: “Our effort score will always be the basis of the application. But for those who want to understand their daily movements, our steps feature will provide additional data ».

From now on, the count of the number of steps taken during the day is indicated directly in the Whoop application. Offered in beta version, the measurement allows you to view the number of steps each day, as well as the daily average over the entire week or month.

Users can also set their daily step count goal, with a recommendation of between 8,000 and 10,000 steps per day for a “healthy lifestyle ».

Finally, the activities recorded also include the number of steps taken during the exercise, alongside the activity effort index.