What Happens To Your Body When You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day (Eating Well)

Posted: Jun 23, 2023 in In the News

This article originally appeared in Eating Well on June 23, 2023.

 

What Happens To Your Body When You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day

By Adam Meyer

Walking 10,000 steps per day has been a benchmark health goal for a while. (Interesting fact: It originated as part of a marketing campaign for an early step counter leading up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and equates to walking about 5 miles). The average American gets far less than this—logging between 3,000 to 4,000 steps each day—and there's some evidence that upping your daily strides can have some surprising benefits. Here are some of them:

Healthy Weight Loss

While a brisk stroll may not be as vigorous as high-intensity workouts like running or Spinning, it is an effective way to burn calories and support weight loss. According to a 2018 study published in the journal Obesity, walking 10,000 steps a day is associated with weight loss and management. Plus, it's a low-impact exercise, making it accessible for all fitness levels. And it elevates your heart rate and activates muscles like your quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings, helping to burn calories and strengthen your lower body.

"Walking is an easy way to increase your calorie burn without your body needing time and energy to recover," says Rachel MacPherson, CPT, an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews. "It's not tiring and won't cause fatigue on a diet. You can walk a lot during the day without feeling as beat up as you would with higher-intensity cardio. If you add walking to your day, you may find maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight to happen naturally without even noticing."

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