I absolutely love a good, brisk walk: Give me fresh air, interesting people to see, and cute dogs to greet instead of the inside of a sweaty gym any day. And, of course, since I’m an editor at Prevention, I’ve read so many studies aboutthe amazing benefits,for both body and mind, of putting one foot in front of the other every day. So I decided to try walking 7,000 steps every day for two weeks to see if I could reap the purported benefits.
The problem is this: I work in the office three days a week and at home two days a week. On the days I’m at home, I’m out and about several times, running errands, walking my dog, Ginny, who loves a good stroll even more than I do, and usually getting all the steps I need.
But on the days I’m in the office, the most steps I get are usually walking from my desk to the restroom and back. By the end of the day, my legs are crampy, my bottom half feels numb from sitting for hours, and I just feel an overall sense of blah. So a few weeks ago, I decided to do a little experiment. I was going to aim for at least 7,000 steps a day, every day, even on my eight-hours-in-a-desk-chair days in the office. On weekends and work-from-home (WFH) days, I would aim for 10,000. Here’s what happened.
Why 7,000 steps?
While we’ve all heard the magic number 10,000 steps, research published last year in The Lancet Public Health found that the benefits of walking (including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer mortality) begin at around 4,000 steps per day and peak at 7,000. I was most intrigued that this number of steps may also reduce the risk of dementia. After watching my vibrant mom pass away from Alzheimer’s disease last year after a 12-year decline, I am eager to do whatever I need to avoid a similar fate.
Some of the other known benefits of walking include:
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving cognition
• Lowering risk of chronic diseases such as sleep apnea and GERD
• Managing weight
• Improving mood
• Improving sleep
• Lowering stress
• Protecting bones
• One study even suggests that walking briskly every day potentially increases your lifespan
How I increased my steps to 7,000 a day
Day 1: I had been thinking about this challenge for a week or so when the opportunity to get started landed right in my lap. One Tuesday after the New York City snow had started to melt, I found myself headed to a midday appointment around one mile from my office. I took the subway there, but when I emerged into a blast of sunshine I hadn’t seen for a few months, I decided to walk back. I didn’t have my sneakers on, but my lug-sole boots were comfortable enough, so I powered my way back uptown, walking as briskly as possible. I found out that not only did I get the steps I needed, but those 20 minutes of midday walking helped me get through the rest of the afternoon with a lot more energy.
Day 2: The next day was easy—since I work from home on Wednesdays, I go for an hour-long power walk each week with my friend Elise. We usually get in around 6,000 steps before 9 a.m. Sometimes my dog Ginny joins us, but if she’s too lazy to get up by 8 a.m., I come home and take her out for walk number two of the day, notching close to 10,000 steps before I’ve even had lunch.
Day 3: The first glitch came on Thursday. My plan was to take the subway to work as usual, but get off a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way. Unfortunately, I had trouble falling asleep the night before, missed my alarm, and had to rush into work with no time to spare. But instead of giving up, I realized that every challenge has a solution. Instead of doing my standard lunch that day, which involves sitting at my desk or in the office cafeteria with the New York Times crossword puzzle, I could leave the building for a half-hour walk. It took a little effort, because I love that midday respite, but the fresh air perked me up, I got my steps, and I did the puzzle when I came home that night. The lesson I learned was to be creative; there is almost always a way to find an extra 30 minutes in your day to walk if you make it a priority. The next few days went along swimmingly until…
Day 6: Who knew New York would have two major snowstorms in February this year? I did not, and the foot of snow that fell that Sunday put a real crimp in my plans. I had gotten one decent walk in the morning before the brunt of the storm, but no one—not even Ginny—wanted to go out again later that day. I could have made up for the missed steps by doing a workout at home, but instead, I made hot chocolate and watched half an old season of Project Runway with my daughter. I’m human.
Days 7-14:
By the next day, the snow had miraculously been shoveled off most of the sidewalks, and I jumped back into my plan. I am proud to say that with a little improvising and a lot of determination, I reached at least 7,000 every day for the next week, and as many as 15,000 on some days.
What happened to my body
Physically, the biggest benefit I felt was the lack of cramping or heaviness in my legs on the days I would normally be sitting in a chair all day. When I was able to get out of the office and walk in the middle of the day, the energy I felt in the afternoon was palpable, and the day went by much faster.
The mental benefits were amazing, too. When I walked with friends, it gave us time to connect, help each other come up with solutions to whatever was going on in our lives, and laugh a lot. On days I walked by myself, I would spend some time noodling over various questions I had, from how to fix the lede of an article I was working on to where to go on vacation in the spring—and I often came up with an answer I wouldn’t have found sitting on my couch. As the studies promised, my mood did seem lighter and happier on the days I got in a long walk.
I challenged myself more with each stroll. I would try to take longer strides, which I could feel in my glutes, and try to increase my pace. As I continue my 7,000 steps a day routine—and as the weather gets warmer—I plan to add in some weights (other than my backpack with my work computer, which joined me on several jaunts) and stop for squats, lunges, and other weight-bearing exercises along the way.
The bottom line
As long as you have the physical ability, walking for at least 7,000 steps a day is totally doable if you’re willing to be a little flexible and creative. That means looking for times to walk instead of driving or taking public transit, scheduling walks with friends, family, or pets, or getting up a little earlier, taking a short lunch, or going out for a stroll before bed. I know that changing up your routine isn’t always easy, but it usually can be done, and the benefits are worth it!
The long-term pros of lowering your risk for chronic health conditions, dementia, and heart disease are worth reiterating, and I tried to keep those in mind on those cold days when I needed a little extra nudge to go outside, but it was really the short-term benefits that made the difference. My legs felt stronger, my energy felt more abundant, and that little twinge I had in my back seemed to disappear.
Barring any new blizzards in the next month, I’m aiming to keep my streak alive as long as I can. And if I miss that 7,000 minimum one day? No worries. I’ll just start all over again the next day.
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