It’s long been considered that 10,000 steps per day is the benchmark for optimal health, but what happens to your mind and muscles when you start walking 20,000 steps every day? Writer Jennifer Barton has been doing it for weeks and is surprised by the results.
We know that walking is good for us, but 10,000 steps a day isn’t necessarily the magic number.
In fact, the latest FitTok trend revolves around “walking 20k steps a day for weight loss” — outdoors or inside on a treadmill or walking pad. One devotee, @fitannie, has racked up 5.9 million views for a video chronicling her body transformation after 30 days of walking 20,000 steps daily.
@fitannie I think that is proof that walking a lot leans out your legs, right? 👟 Nontheless I will go back to aiming for 10-15k steps a day now, since this has also been a bit stressful, not gonna lie 😄 I want walking to be fun and not feel like a chore 🫶🏻 Thanks again to all of you for motivating me so much & I will show you the other benefits in my next post 🥰 #walkingforweightloss #weightlossmotivation #weightloss #fyp #foryou #weightlossprogress #weightlosstransformation #beforeandafterweightloss #hotgirlwalk ♬ Walking Around – Instrumental Version – Eldar Kedem
And while we can’t believe everything we see on social media, walking loads is something experts agree on as beneficial for both our physical and mental health.
Recent research has found that walking more can add years to our lifespans, as well as reducing cardiovascular and cancer risks.
Here’s what happened when I started walking 20,000 steps every day…
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The benefits of walking 20,000 steps a day, from weight loss to better sleep
I consider myself an active person who swears by the benefits of exercise for mental health, so I’m always on the move, doing yoga, running, strength training or Pilates.
I’d always considered walking to be a ‘lesser’ form of exercise — I never believed that significantly upping my step count would impact how I looked or felt, until a few months ago…
Temporarily living with my in-laws while commuting to my old neighbourhood, I started racking up 7,000-10,000 steps before 9am. According to my smartwatch, I was soon averaging 20,000 steps — or more — daily.
The visual differences are subtle, but there: I’m standing straighter, my stomach feels taut and even my biceps are more pronounced from carrying groceries while walking.
My calves and thighs look more defined and the one pair of jeans I brought into this house hang looser around my tightening waist. Each night, I fall into bed with the satisfaction of having physically exerted myself.
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How far is 20,000 steps?
Walking 20,000 steps is equivalent to a distance somewhere between eight and 10 miles daily, or 14.5-16 km.
“For many people, walking 20,000 steps a day can act as a steady-state cardio workout, especially if done at a brisk pace or over varied terrain,” explains Holly Haywood, lead instructor at Third Space Soho. “But the benefits extend far beyond just burning calories. It can aid digestion, increase blood flow, clear mental fog and help you sleep better — especially when your walks take you outside in the fresh air.”
What’s the difference between walking 10,000 and 20,000 steps?
Walking more makes me want to move more: I’ll wake up early to walk my bulldog nephew, or ditch public transport to go on foot instead.
My heels are callused, my feet and back achy (I pulled a muscle in my lower back early on from all that extra walking), but now I’ve seen the impact 20,000 steps daily can have on me, I’m hooked.
Researchers confirm the more you walk, the better for your overall health, concluding that 20,000 steps daily is preferable to 10,000.
You can reap health benefits to reduce your mortality risk from 2,600 steps a day; reaching 8,200 steps daily is linked with lower instances of diabetes, depression, obesity and sleep apnea.
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How many calories does 20,000 steps a day burn?
It’s thought that we typically burn 100 calories a mile when walking briskly, so anyone adopting the 20,000-steps challenge for weight loss and toning can expect to use up between 800-1,000 calories a day.
To make the walking more effective, Haywood suggests adding in a weighted vest, carrying light hand weights, taking routes with hills or adding speed intervals to elevate your heart rate.
“Speed doesn’t overly matter in regard to walking,” she explains. “That said, incorporating periods of faster walking, walking uphill or increasing your general pace can elevate your heart rate.”
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What mental health benefits come from walking 20,000 steps daily?
Even more than the physical changes, walking 20,000 steps daily has impacted me emotionally.
I smile more, I notice things — colours, trees, people, pets — and I’ve even managed to avoid the annual seasonal affective disorder that’s plagued me the past few winters.
According to research psychologist, Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, the quality of the walking you’re doing is more important for wellbeing than how many steps you’re taking.
“All you need is five to six minutes of purposeful, mindful walking, to see an improvement,” she says. “Walking in a mindful way improved people’s general mood and reduced feelings of stress and markers of anxiety and depression.”
The more you walk, the more opportunities you’ll have to stay present. Dr Palmer-Cooper recommends trying a ‘colour walk’ — seeking out specific colours in your surroundings — or focusing on a mantra for more of a meditative walking experience.
I’ll just keep taking each day one step — OK fine, 20,000 steps — at a time.
Feature image credit: Freepik
