You’ve probably heard all about the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day. It’s worth noting that the 10,000-step target (seems a bit ambitious, doesn’t it?) starts as a slice. In 1965, the Japanese company marketing He was going to introduce a device called A. Manpo-kei (meaning 10,000-level meters). However, it is an important goal – a review of 32 studies, published in International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity “10,000 steps a day is a reasonable target for healthy adults,” he says.
As a personal trainer and fitness writer, I run and walk everywhere, so hitting this number isn’t a problem, 15 to 20 thousand steps a day is my rule. But I decided to double my step count for two weeks. Now, for sanity’s sake, I thought I’d base my step count on 15,000 steps, so that doubled step count would be 30,000 steps. It seems like a lot, but read on to find out what happened.
Benefits of additional measures
Let’s be clear that you don’t need to have a super high daily step count to reap the health benefits of walking. As confirmed by American Heart AssociationFor every 1,000 steps participants took each day, the study participants were 22 percent less likely to die from all causes. The researchers who participated in the study found that compared to people who walked about 4,000 steps per day, the risk of dying from any cause decreased by 49% at 5,500 steps and 67% at 11,500 steps per day.
In general, walking is good for cardiovascular health, helping to keep the heart and lungs strong. It’s also low impact, so it’s less likely to cause pain, unlike running which can lead to pretty severe knee, hip and ankle pain (to name a few) due to constant pounding of the pavement.
Oh, and if weight loss is what you’re after, you’ll be surprised how beneficial walking can be. Our bodies are made to walk – it’s a natural movement, and walking (especially at a brisk pace to get your heart rate up) burns a fair amount of calories!
I doubled my step count every two weeks – here’s what happened.
My legs hurt
Sounds really obvious, right? But the extra steps, mostly done at a brisk pace, hurt my feet a bit. Dry skin and bites were common, so after two weeks I booked to get a pedicure! The fact that my coaches aren’t giving me the usual ’bouts’ has probably played a role in this. More later.
I have gone through so many podcasts
I can go for about 20 minutes in silence before I put in my AirPods and catch a podcast. Podcasts are great – I’m a big fan of health and wellness based podcasts, my favorites Model health show, The EC methodAnd Zoe Podcast. Why not kill two birds with one stone while learning something new?
I did this when I was in Australia.
I’m very lucky that my family live on the west coast of Australia, so it’s been very easy to get out for more walking and running in January, when it’s snowy and colder than when I was in England. Doubling your step count is more achievable in the warmer months, and a step machine can be a great option in the winter.
My coaches are very tired
My trusty Nike running shoes have seen better days for this hiking challenge! Previously, the spongy sole felt a bit stiff and the ‘springy’ feeling I once enjoyed seems to have definitely disappeared. This happens partially on my run as well, but still, extra steps definitely play a role.
I had to stretch a lot
More movement = more stretching, as it should be. I’m (unfortunately) not 21 anymore and can’t easily grow by hitting 20k levels, without the odd little nig here and there. During this two week period, especially after a few days, I noticed that I was a little tighter in my hips and my shoulders felt more tense.
You can get real sweat
Doubling my step count also meant I had more time to walk, so to save time, I was walking very fast. On one particular 10 km walk, I was walking at a pace of 8 min/km, which is very fast. My arms were pumping and my legs were moving twice as fast as I ran through my paces, and let me tell you, I was breaking a real sweat.
All this walking has helped my digestion.
Feeling sluggish? Walking can help. I have healthy digestion (I like to think!), but if I’m ever feeling bloated, I often go for a brisk walk to get things moving. In these two weeks, I haven’t had much swelling as everything seems to be running smoothly, which automatically makes you feel better. Happy gut, happy brain, after all.
I doubled my step count every two weeks – that’s my verdict.
I’ll be honest and admit that I’ve failed in this challenge in a few days – work takes over, I prioritize gym workouts, or I simply run out of time, so just trying to get more steps wasn’t possible.
However, on the days I completed the challenge, I felt healthier, my mood was lifted thanks to the endorphins and podcasts, and I experienced wonderful digestive benefits.
You don’t have to walk 30,000 steps a day – in fact, most people simply don’t have time to do that many steps a day, but when you can, go for an extra walk, skip public transport and walk instead. . In fact, it’s a simple form of activity that can make you feel great.