I did 10,000 steps a day for five years - Can it change your life?

In 2017 I received a FitBit fitness tracker as a 25-year service award from my employer. Shortly thereafter my wife introduced me to the 10,000 step challenge and life has never been the same.

But why do a 10,000 step challenge? Is it worth it? What are the benefits? I answer these questions and more in the video.

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[angieeasley]

I am 65 yrs old battling high blood sugar and a few other items reporting HIGH on my lab work. I did a 30 day 10K, had my labs done again and all markers were not only within range but lower than average!! My triglycerides, LDL, and total Cholesterol were all good! I did not stop at 30 days and plan to never stop walking 10K but living in FL with back to back Hurricanes I have missed a few days :( There are so many more improvements that dont show up on bloodwork, emotions, depression, and just an overall feeling of being well is worth everything to me!

[ap-wlnm]

I recently read sitting at a desk is the new smoking.
I discovered I can just walk around the house or around my dining room table and get all my steps in.
I started over a month ago. The change in how I feel is amazing. I plan to keep it up the rest of my life.
No excuses. Walk in your house.

[c.santhanagopalakrishnan]

I’ve been walking 10000+ steps everyday since 50 years (I’m now 61 years young!). I’ve added 10 kms of cycling every day! My all time high weight is 63 kgs that’s five years ago. Now I weigh 56 kgs. I’m a vegetarian all my life eating rice, vegetables and fruits. I consume ghee butter and milk. No junk or processed food. Fast with only water every fortnight (ekadashi). Absolutely healthy! I feel I’m in my 40s!

[Manskeeeee]

Another benefit I noticed is that walking is very meditative. You can reflect on the previous day's accomplishments and plan your schedule for the rest of the day, for example.

[alexdelker]

Walking is incredibly underrated for physical and mental health. Great video!

[philip_hunt]

I have a tracker and regularly do 10, 000 steps but to do it every day for five years is an impressive feat. Well done.

[evelyn]

I’ve watched this video a year ago and got motivated to start my 10k challenge Ive lost 22 lbs already and hope to loose more thank you so much for the inspiration

[KNIGHTJUMPS]

Because of David Goggins and Youtube videos like this I am now walking 6+ miles a day.

[benjaminroeify]

When I was a much younger I spent a couple years overseas. When I left the U.S. I weighed somewhere between 175-185 lbs. Let's just say 180. The country I was living in had no personal cars and it was much easier to walk everywhere throughout the day. Consequently I think I walked at least 8k every day and probably more like 10k on average. Without doing MUCH excerise on top of that and eating normally... when I came home I weighed 151lbs soaking wet. Crazy. Walking certainly works. Also I was probably the most mentally well and positive thinking I had been during my life at the time.

[janettareitsma]

My husband and I walk minimum 6, 000 steps a day and at 75 and 81 I thought this was enough! But now seeing your mother doing 10, 000 steps at 77 I feel I should try! (Actually I did 9, 800 steps yesterday). Must try harder! We live in a retirement village (minimum age 70) and I am shocked at how few people I see walking. We do two walks a day so we know!

[williampasternak]

Hey Jon
You inspired me to do the 10, 000 steps a day❤ I have to make space for this. I’m at 10, 000 steps a day now for 16 days. I think this will be a great daily journal entry for me to stay motivated. I’m 57 and taking health seriously for the first time of my life. I’m 293 pounds today and I need to get to 195. I’ll keep you guys posted every month of my weight loss. It does nothing but positive things for us 😊

[tec]

I love this video I started doing this about a year and a half ago I went from 220 pounds with high blood pressure to 160 pounds now and feeling good I changed my eating habits a bit as well but the walking is what got me started and I still walk everyday it’s become just part of my life. I tell everyone who asks me when they see how much I lost being shocked when I say basically all I started doing was going for walks.

[Jessicab-uc]

Dementia is my worst fear its hard to see a loved one going through it, it's pretty motivating to hear that 10000 steps = less of a risk of dementia one thing I noticed when I was making my 10000 steps my sleep was way better as a relatively bad sleeper on average a significant change for me and according to Matthew Walker the Author of why we sleep he said disrupted sleep also increases your risk of dementia. a win win in my opinion.

[livelearnandteach]

I love the idea of crating streeks. I'm over 100 days of 10k steps myself. Sounds like a challenge for 2023.

[tracysouthard]

Dude I love this video so much! I just got my Fitbit and I’m on week 3 of 10, 000 a day. Thank you!

[seamusconlan]

I combine daily walking with intermittent fasting which is a great combo for health and fitness.

[skykitchen]

Started the Leslie Sansome walk at home program when covid hit. Stopped watching morning gossip tv and took that time to begin. Started with one mile and went up to three miles per day, six days a week. In less than a month and a half, I lost over 12 pounds and my blood pressure dropped to normal. No diet pills, no ozempic just good old fashioned discipline and exercise. Mother nature is amazing. I haven't watched morning gossip tv in a long time now, and not missing it at all. Just hearing friends saying on how great I look, just gives me the incentive to continue. Its been two years, losing a total of fifty pounds and it is so easy to maintain. Great video!

[trixsalvo]

I did at least 10k a day and it greatly helped my weight loss journey. It was a start of a healthy lifestyle for me. I’m 5’3 and my starting weight was 143 lbs. Down to 105 lbs. I made 10k a day steps a lifestyle and didn’t consider it as a workout. ❤

[mathfaster]

Regarding activity: Ben Bkiman in his book "Why We Get Sick" recommends getting up and moving every 20 minutes for a couple of minutes to combat insulin resistance. One cardiologist I read recommends moving every 45 minutes. There has been a few studies in Japan that showed that older adults who do "interval walking" for 50 minutes in total per week have significant benefits over those who do steady state walking. Many different approaches to getting up and moving that are simple and straightforward.

[kathykeener]

Yay! I started with Fitbit but had to switch to a little pedometer because I wasn’t weird enough already, the Emps from the the device were bugging me. Still, this is cheaper and actually drove me to do more journaling. I now do yoga and have even started with some weight lifting. I am 70 and still have low steps days because I am my dad’s caregiver. But I always try! Go for it folks! Thanks for sharing your story.