By now you have heard that if you walk 10000 steps every day has become a popular fitness goal and if you have a fitness tracker, that is what is recommended. Walking is such an everyday activity for most of us that we barely notice we’re doing it half the time. It is a means to an end – something we do without thinking that allows us to live our busy lives.
This humble activity, though, is proving to be much more profoundly beneficial than anyone imagined. Taking a few simple steps here and there can boost your health and even make your life longer. Walking doesn’t just boost your heart health or your mood; it is also good for toning your whole body. Your legs and glutes get a good workout and if you pump your arms as you walk, they also benefit.
So is the hype real? Lets take a look at all of the incredible things that happen to your body when you walk 10000 steps every day.
You’ll Fall Asleep Faster if You Walk 10,000 Steps!
Do you sometimes struggle to get to sleep? If so, it might be because you’re not getting enough movement throughout the day.
Humans should get around 15,000 steps per day. That’s what our ancestors did. What’s more, it regulated their body clock. Typically, they’d engage in a lot of activity during the morning and then rest up for the afternoon, before getting going again briefly in the evening. So getting at least 10,000 steps is beneficial.
With the rise of factory and office work, that’s all changed. We now work all day long, often relentlessly. Unsurprisingly, this has an effect on our body clocks. We don’t get the same tiredness signals as we used to before bed, making it harder to fall asleep.
Read More: How to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep
Your Feet Will Feel Sore – But Its a Good Thing!
There’s a reason why companies like Scholl make so much revenue – walking makes for sore feet.
Interestingly, this didn’t happen a huge amount in the past. The reason it occurs today is that our bodies aren’t used to it. They haven’t had to build the tissues needed to protect us from all that pressure from above. And so the soreness is a sign that they’re repairing and becoming more robust. The good news is that if you keep up your walking habit, the sensation will eventually pass if you maintain your walk 10000 steps every day
You Feel Less Cranky
Nature didn’t wire human beings to feel happy and content sitting in their caves all day long. There’s a certain biological imperative about our existence that we have to fulfill. Sitting on our bottoms all day just doesn’t do the trick.
When you’re sedentary, you can sometimes wind up feeling cranky. But when you’re active, you feel much better in yourself. You get that feel-good factor than no amount of ice cream can recreate.
Read More: These Lifestyle Changes Will Make YOU Happier
You Start Losing Weight When You Walk Your Steps
Walking doesn’t burn a massive number of calories – not compared to running anyway. But even so, you’ll notice that you start to lose weight if you start walking 10,000 steps per day.
Interestingly, the reason for this isn’t just to do with the extra energy consumption. Walking also revs up your bowels, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Read More: How to Improve Your Gut Health
Researchers are still trying to figure out how this works, but it seems to have something to do with the movement. As you walk, you churn the material in your bowels, and that keeps everything ticking over nicely down there. Bacteria then release helpful compounds that improve your metabolism!
Best Way to Track Your Steps When Walking
Fitness trackers are the best way to ensure that you are getting your 10000 steps a day. Fitness trackers are wearable devices that can not only help you to move more but they will also help you sleep better, and improve your overall health.
I wear mine 24/7 and here are the top sellers on Amazon: