TODAY

For many people, exercise is a numbers game: They grit their teeth to get to 10,000 steps a day, a seemingly magical number that's come to define fitness.

But what if you don’t need that many steps to get a health boost? There seems to be nothing scientific or meaningful about the 10,000 number – it likely just began as a marketing tool for a pedometer sold in Japan in the 1960s.

A new study finds far fewer steps can provide a health benefit for many people. Follow the link to see how many steps you may really need.

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Even when we know people’s names, why do we go for days without using them? By using someone’s name, you help them feel seen and acknowledged — and that’s an act of kindness. According to kindness.org’s research in collaboration with the University of Oxford, doing a kind act increases happiness, well-being, trust and compassion. And it can have the same powerful effect on those who receive the act. Try it, and put a smile on both your faces.

When psychologists recently tested three well-known techniques believed to boost mood, one really stood out.

It helps change people’s emotions by helping them feel “among” others, rather than apart from them, said Douglas Gentile, a psychology professor at Iowa State University. When students tried it for just 12 minutes, they reported lower anxiety, greater happiness, more empathy and higher feelings of caring and connectedness.

It’s even endorsed by “Silicon Valley's Zen master,” who says it’s the best thing he can do to immediately improve his mood. Follow the link to see what this healthy practice is and how you can incorporate it into your life.