How Many Steps Should You Walk Daily?

In the everyday hustle-bustle, taking care of your fitness often takes a backseat. We are so occupied with our work, and so much energy is invested in it that taking out even 15-30 minutes to exercise seems like a task. But you know what takes minimum effort with maximum effect? Walking. Taking around 10,000 steps daily will help you a great deal in staying fit.

What you need to know:

How many steps should I walk daily?
Importance of walking everyday
Benefits of walking daily
How to improve my walking steps?
How many steps should I walk to manage weight?
How to motivate myself to walk daily?

How many steps should I walk daily?

Does the question ‘How many steps should I walk daily’ linger in your mind? If so, many reports recommend adults to aim for 10,000 steps per day, equivalent to 8 kilometers. However, walking these many steps can be challenging if you are just starting. So, start small and aim big. Try to add at least 1000 steps every day for two weeks. If you match this target, push yourself to walk 5,000 steps to ultimately reach the goal of 10,000 steps.

Importance of walking everyday

Taking 10,000 steps is ideal for staying fit and achieving health benefits. For individuals who cannot include workouts in their routine, walking for fitness serves as the best low-intensity exercise to keep you active. It takes around 1 hour 40 minutes to walk these many steps. However, the calories you burn also depend on the intensity and speed of your walk. While walking 10,000 steps might not cause any immediate visible change, you can always combine it with a 30-minute cardio or aerobics to manage your weight.

Anything less than 5,000 steps a day is considered a sedentary life.
Steps between 5,000 and 7,499 is deemed as low activity.
An active person is one who walks between 7,500 and 10,000 steps.
Those who walk above 12,000 steps have a healthy lifestyle.
To effectively manage your weight, walking 10,000 steps a day can help reduce 2,000 to 3,500 calories per week.
If your baseline is 4,000 steps a day, you can round it off by adding 1,000 or 2,000 steps to gain fitness.

Benefits of walking daily

An activity as simple as walking contains various health benefits. Brisk walking improves your heart’s function to pump more blood and your lung’s oxygen intake capacity, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, increases muscle strength, reduces body fat and lowers the risk of chronic lifestyle conditions like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression. If you feel the blues, a short walk amidst nature can also be a mood booster.

How to improve my walking steps?

To regularize such a habit, time plays a vital role, but more than time, your willpower helps you keep going and overcome other obstacles. Here are ways to improve your walking stride:

Use stairs instead of elevators or escalators.
Take a walk while talking on the phone, meeting friends and during your lunch break.
Park your car away from the office to get those steps in.
Instead of sitting and working, use a standing desk to conduct meetings.
When using public transportation, get off at a stop early and walk the rest of the way to your destination.
Trying new ways to get more steps, like dancing or hiking.

Following these steps on a daily basis will definitely be worth the effort.

How many steps should I walk to manage weight?

If you are wondering – ‘How many steps should I walk daily?’, the number depends on factors such as age, gender, dietary patterns and lifestyle habits. However, a slight increase in the number of steps can help you shed extra weight. Walking more than 10,000 steps per day reduces the risk of obesity, which can help you keep your body mass index in control and manage your weight accordingly.

How to motivate myself to walk daily?

Since we are all so busy with our daily activities, setting a specific time for exercise becomes a challenge. But to overcome this obstacle, there are easy ways to motivate yourself to walk daily:

Use fitness tracker or apps: Wear a device or install apps that notify you to walk during intervals. Set your goal and try to achieve it daily.
Set a concrete goal: Don’t aim for 10,000 steps at once. Know your physical abilities and set an achievable goal so you experience a sense of achievement once you fulfill the target. Monitor it and push yourself daily.
Find a companion in walking/hiking: Walking alone can get monotonous at times. Therefore, get a walking buddy to join you on your trips. This can further motivate you to get those steps in.
Buy new clothes or shoes: Buy yourself some new clothes and shoes that will excite you to wear them when you start your daily walk.
Choose your time: The right time depends on you. It is always advisable to rise early and go on a walk so you don’t fall back on your routine. But you can also consider walking after dinner to digest the food.
Listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks: If you are walking alone, find some activities that will keep you engaged while you walk, such as listening to your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks.

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