You've probably heard that walking 10,000 steps a day is great for your physical and mental health. Increasing your daily steps may help you lose weight, strengthen your lower body and core, and improve your cardiovascular health.
I recently spoke with a colleague who walked 10,000 steps in 90 days, and he mentioned ways to improve his walking form, stay motivated, and increase his step count. I wanted to know if it made any difference to my health. health. And how much exercise will you need to achieve this daily goal?
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To my dog's delight, I put on one of the best fitness trackers (I wear an Apple Watch) and went outside with him for a walk. Here's why it's important and how many steps you should take per day. Really We need to bring about change.
How long does it take to walk 15,000 steps?
If you walk at a moderate speed of 3 miles per hour to 4 miles per hour, 15,000 steps will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Speed, stride length, and height play a role, so you can run 15,000 steps faster or slower depending on your approach. Wearing a fitness tracker or carrying your phone with you can help you track your steps.
Walking 15,000 steps a day: Benefits
Whether you've vowed to get more walking training in this year or just want to get outside more often, whatever your reason, just 30 minutes of walking each day can improve your cardiovascular health, from strengthening your joints, bones and muscles to strengthening your joints, bones and muscles. It has a positive effect on the body, up to the improvement of . heart and lung health), walking burns calories and helps you lose weight.
To help you decide which type of walking activity best suits your needs, we've explained how many calories you can expect to burn by trying uphill walking and running, hiking and power walking . If your goal is to lose weight and burn calories, walking can contribute to increasing your overall activity level (more on this later), and can help improve your diet, sleep hygiene, and (in principle) Remember that you also need to be careful. , you burn more calories than you consume.
I walked 15,000 steps a day for 30 days — here's what I learned
It doesn't take 15,000 steps to make a difference
There are benefits to walking 15,000 steps a day for weight loss and health. The more you exercise, the more calories you are likely to burn. However, you don't need to reach 15,000 steps, or even 10,000 steps (yes, you read that correctly), to notice the various benefits of walking.
A systematic review published in Journal of the American College of Cardiologywas updated in 2023 and found that taking just 2,600 to 2,800 steps per day can reduce mortality and cardiovascular disease risk, respectively. Continue to add 1,000 steps (about 10 minutes of walking) for further benefits, with “optimal health benefits” achieved at about 8,800 steps for mortality and 7,200 steps for cardiovascular disease. The study also concluded that higher cadence provides additional health benefits beyond overall step volume.
Where did 10,000 steps a day come from?of World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. This equates to approximately 20-45 minutes per day. So this does not guarantee 10,000 steps.According to various sources, including: harvard health, The Magic 10K was culled from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s.
It will take some time
Not everyone has the time to get outside and walk 15,000 steps. As someone who spends long days at a desk writing, I understand that. I have a very energetic dog who needs walks twice a day, and I teach weekly fitness classes, so incorporating extra exercise into my days has become the default. But even when you add in a workout routine, there are still days when you don't reach that number. Take the 15K Challenge.
How does the average person walk 15,000 steps? Throughout the challenge, I focused on something called NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). This refers to energy expenditure that is unrelated to “dedicated” exercise (think of your favorite spin class or Pilates workout), sleep, or food.
Taking the stairs whenever possible, working while standing, indulging in hobbies like gardening, and playing with your kids can all help increase your step count. By accumulating activity, he can reach 15,000 steps without thinking and his metabolic rate also improves. One of my favorite techniques was to take my dog outside during my lunch break and throw a stick at him.
Walking increases mindfulness, clarity, focus, and energy
Combining your daily walk with breathing exercises (Garmin recommends these three breathing activities with your watch) can have a huge impact on your health and mood, helping your body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, or “rest and rest.” You can increase the time to activate “digestion” mode. Various studies have shown that walking in green spaces reduces anxiety, improves mood, and reduces negative emotions. This may include walking in local city parks, the seaside, or in the woods or fields.
Walking anywhere makes me feel calm and grounded, so I use the time to think and problem solve. Interestingly, stanford research It turns out that walking can increase creativity, and the results suggest that walking itself, rather than the environment, is the main factor. Even if you need to get up early, a walk before work can help you feel sharper, more focused, and have more energy to face the day. Additionally, any exercise (including walking) releases endorphins, which reduce stress and pain.
Overall, it felt great every time.
I walked 15,000 steps every day for the past 30 days – this is my verdict
You don't need to complete 15,000 or 10,000 steps a day to reap the benefits of walking. Stacking your steps consistently, even an average of 7,000 steps, can promote cardiovascular health and longevity. Plus, anything you can do is better than nothing. This applies to me too.
How did I find a way to walk 15,000 steps a day for a month? There's nothing I love more than walking my dog with my headphones on and a podcast on. The whole experience feels incredibly comforting, uplifting, and makes the world feel brighter. But even though I felt better, walking 15,000 steps a day on days I wasn't teaching classes or doing other forms of exercise took more thought and planning than I anticipated.
I enjoy developing these healthy habits, but I'm not going to put pressure on myself to hit 15,000 steps every day. The day you do it is a bonus. If regular walks are not possible, here are some walking ideas. By learning more about NEAT, you can increase your step count without taking too much out of your daily routine.
