I Walked 23k Steps/Day for 5 Weeks — Here’s What Happened
<p>That’s my #1 advice for anyone trying to improve their health and fitness.</p>
<p>If you want to lose weight, walk more. If you want to improve your cardiovascular health, walk more. If you want to be able to eat more, walk more.</p>
<p><em>Walk. Walk. Walk.</em></p>
<p>That’s been my mantra for many years. Years in which I’ve religiously taken 10k steps daily — even if this is an arbitrary number born of a <a href="https://www.zmescience.com/science/how-steps-a-day-should-i-walk/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Japanese marketing campaign</a>.</p>
<p>Walking is my preferred form of cardio, as it <a href="https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/healthy-heart/improve-heart-health-by-walking.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">strengthens your heart</a> and <a href="https://hr.duke.edu/wellness/runwalk-club/training-education/strengthen-your-legs#:~:text=Walking%20and%20running%20are%20great,longer%20and%20more%20productive%20sessions." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">legs</a>, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/walking/faq-20058345#:~:text=Physical%20activity%2C%20such%20as%20walking,more%20calories%20you'll%20burn." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">helps you burn more calories</a> — allowing you to eat more — and <a href="https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/mental-benefits-of-walking" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">lifts your mood</a>. Research from <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Harvard</a> shows that walking helps cater to depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues, going as far as stalling the use of antidepressant drugs.</p>
<p><em>Incredible.</em></p>
<p>Still… Does this mean that walking more is always a worthwhile goal?</p>
<p>This question prompted me to increase my daily steps for four weeks, from 10k to 20k <em>on average</em>. As life is unexpected, I didn’t want to have a rigid daily goal. Instead, I simply ensured my average step count surpassed 20k. And wouldn’t you know it? I made it to 23k steps for <em>five</em> weeks.</p>
<p>From June 19th to July 23rd, I walked double my usual amount.</p>
<p>In this post, I’ll share my experience week-by-week, offer helpful tips for anyone hoping to walk more, and unveil my results. Most importantly, I’ll answer the question that inspired this challenge: Is it worth it?</p>
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