Those who work with me know I can (and do) get into the nitty gritty, but I still never stop talking about the seemingly simple habits like walking and water intake. Truth is, for many, they are a challenge to keep up with. There’s been a few times in my life, like living on college campuses or urban environments, where walking multiple miles a day was just simply part of my life- and it was great. Now, I am always trying to explore ways where I can work walking into my everyday life, or at least make it more enjoyable, rather than a time consuming “chore”. Noticing my walking habits through different seasons of life and even geographical locations has expanded my viewpoints on the long term mental and physical health benefits. Anecdotally, I noticed increased mood, less anxiety and increased creativity with walks around an hour or more. I also noticed body fat loss in seasons where my steps were consistently above 10k. Of course this is my individual experience, so lets zoom out, look at trends, and also dive into the research.

The Origins of the “10 k steps” per day

In my practice I will always prioritize meeting people where they’re at. So, will I recommend a 10k walking goal for someone who has been pretty sedentary for years? Probably not. That said, I have found that the 10 k steps (which equates to over 6 miles) is a challenging but achievable health goal for most able bodied individuals. From what I’ve seen, if your job requires you to be sitting at a desk all day/ you aren’t naturally getting in steps, it can be tough to carve out adequate time to get this “recommended” number of steps. So where did the 10 k steps come from? Most likely the origins were from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 60s for a pedometer. Then, there was little to no scientific evidence on this number and it was just an arbitrary number. 

Metabolic Health and Longevity Research

A meta-analysis of 28,141 participants (average age range of 57–78) followed participants over 5-10 years and measured steps counts along with various longevity and biochemical markers. The findings were hopeful for any walking advocates (like myself), and found that each 1 k increase in steps was associated with a 5-21% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 13% lower risk of all cause mortality. An increase of 2 k steps per day was associated with a 25% lower risk of developing dysglycemia and a 5 % lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Another paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that higher physical activity levels and walking are associated with a substantial increase in population life expectancy. 

Mental Health Research

The findings from a 2024 meta-analysis showed that a step count of over 5 k were associated with decreased depressive symptoms in adults. A 2021 systematic review displayed robust evidence that physical activity can increase dopamine levels, however there is limited research with exact number of steps or even time spent walking. Another study supported an association with walking and improved cognitive performance in women aged 70-81.

Putting It All Together

Walking can be beneficial for various reasons across the lifespan- so yes, take this research into account but also don’t forget to be your own experiment. Start looking to ways to naturally integrate walking into your daily life, carve out weekend time for long walks in new areas, track your step counts and aim to gradually improve them, and reflect on how you feel as you are becoming more conscientious about your walking habits (by journaling or talking them through with a practitioner).

If you would like to discuss your individual health further, simply fill out this application form and we will be in touch. During my free consultation, I deep dive into a “My Symptom Questionnaire” to take all of this to another level and really help you understand your body. All visits are telehealth and I do have insurance options.