Walking is one of the easiest, safest, and most accessible ways to stay in shape and stay healthy.
Getting a particular number of steps each day can improve your general health and conditioning, regardless of your exercise regimen—in fact, even if you don’t have one.
Healthcare experts have long stated that if an average adult wishes to benefit from walking’s health benefits, they should aim for 10,000 steps each day. Although there is considerable leeway, 10,000 is the generally recognized benchmark for people to make sure they are active.
According to a study cited by the CDC, the risk of dying early for persons under 60 years of age leveled off at roughly 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day. In contrast, the risk of dying young for persons 60 and older peaked at 6,000–8,000 steps per day.
The bottom line is that taking more steps each day is a surefire method to prevent a variety of possible health issues, and it also has the added advantage of enhancing your overall health.
But if you actually push the needle, what would happen to the human body? Put that figure somewhere around 20,000 steps per day, or about 8 to 10 miles of walking.
Fitness guru Ilva Ignatovica began on the challenge three years ago, walking 20,000 steps every day for a month to track her progress.
Before the last week of the 30-day challenge, Ilva took stock of her body in a video that she uploaded on her YouTube page, revealing some of the physical effects of the effort.
“I quickly realized that just because I walk a lot doesn’t mean I can skip stretching and strength workouts after experiencing some back pain,” she said.
“On the other hand, I was happy with the two pounds I lost, thankful for the lovely walks, and proud of my determination.”
The content creator acknowledged that she had to forgo some of her typical strength and conditioning exercises in order to meet the goal, claiming to have walked for almost four hours per day.
People who walked 7,000 steps a day had a 47% lower chance of dying from all causes than those who walked 2,000 steps a day, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet Public Health.
Adults who were more active also had a 38% lower incidence of dementia and a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
How many times a day and how far do you walk?Tell us in the comments section.
