Let’s Go for A Walk

What is it with 10,000 steps a day?
By: Dayna Mulkay | DTCM + Acupuncturist

Walking 10,000 steps a day is not easy, but it certainly can be life changing! First off — where did the 10,000 steps really come from? Believe it or not, the ten thousand steps actually came from a marketing campaign from a Japanese company in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. To launch their latest pedometer, they campaigned that 10,000 steps would keep you living optimal health — and of course sell more step trackers. Fast forward to the twenty first century, if you’re putting that number on your Fitbit or Apple watch, you’ve walked at least 8km. It also means you have been moving on your feet for at least one hour and 40 minutes throughout the day.

The average person walks almost 4,000 steps a day. These are mostly functional steps — they allow us to move to and fro. While beneficial, they likely don’t count as exercise because they are probably at a much slower pace and include ‘pauses’ (such as going to the bathroom, grabbing your car keys and making your way to the fridge). Setting a 10,000 steps a day goal means you are intentionally walking 6,000 steps more than the average person and likely at a faster pace!

Here are three major health benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day:

1) Decreases onset of chronic illnesses

Walking can help improve or prevent certain health conditions, such as obesity, osteoporosis, and age-related memory loss. The benefits of walking appear to increase with step count. A 2020 study found that participants who took 8,000 steps per day had a 51% lower risk of mortality by any cause compared with those who took 4,000 per day. Additionally, taking daily walks can lower your bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It also keeps your heart healthy as it’s a daily form of activity that gets your heart and blood pumping.

2) Improve Your Fitness levels

If your goal is to get into shape or improve your fitness levels, the best place to start is walking. Suppose you walk between 7500 and 10000 steps a day. This will seriously increase your fitness levels without you even realizing it, and it isn’t too strenuous, so most people can realistically reach this target. To put this into a bigger picture, by walking these extra steps every day, studies show that you burn an extra 300–400 calories a day and 2000–3500 calories a week, which on average burns 1 pound of fat. It’s an easy way to increase your metabolic rate, burn fat and increase your cardiovascular function.

3) Reduces Stress Levels

Did you know that just 10 minutes of being outside and in nature can positively impact your mood and reduce stress levels? Now add in walking, and you’re also getting an endorphin release and form of exercise. Taking a leisurely stroll is a perfect way to relieve yourself from stress, calm yourself, and clear your head. You can also listen to a podcast, call a friend, or just have your favourite music on as you go. We live such hectic and distracted lives these days that we forget how import it is to slow down, be present and find peace around us; and being amongst nature is the best way to do so.

In conclusion, the physical body thrives off movement as that is what it is made to do. I truly believe the key to longevity is movement. Moving a little more each day, you will slowly see the improvements your body is making. You don’t have to get all these extra steps at once, but you can slowly accumulate them throughout the day. Start by parking further away in the parking lot, take the stairs more often, and just take multiple mini-walk breaks throughout your day. It’s an easier goal than you think! Also from personal experience, once you start tracking your steps, it will become addicting!