Regular exercise is a fountain of youth. Walking is often overlooked as a form of workout. You can easily improve physical health as well as mental health.
It's no coincidence that a walk at the beach or just a quick stroll through the neighbourhood puts you in a better mood. Physical activity releases endorphins that are a true mood booster.
Walking 20,000 steps a day health benefits
After the age of 40, nature and biology start taking away the body's youthful resilience. You lose muscle mass while on the other hand gain fat deposits, especially around the waist. Walking is the very best, and easiest, way to reverse nature's tendencies.
Contrary to popular belief, exercise does not make you tired. Exercise gives you energy.
Newton's Law says: "An object in motion, stays in motion." Once you are off the couch make the first step is usually gets easier.
Also give your body time to get used to the new activity. To experience long-term health benefits from walking 20000 steps a day it is crucial to be consistent for weeks and months - not just for a few days.
Top 10 health benefits of walking are:
- at least 2 hours away from the fridge
- toned calf muscles
- time to listen to podcasts, audio books
- offsets the wine consumed at the end of the walk
- less blood pressure medication
- better mood
- people will be shocked at how young and good you look
- more energy
- better sleep
- better digestion
How far is 20000 steps?
Walking 20000 steps is a remarkable distance. The actual mileage of 20000 steps can vary depending on your height and the length of your legs. On average 20000 steps equal about 9.2 miles (14km). Based on the average pace, it would take nearly three hours to reach this goal.
20000 steps calories?
The amount of calories you burn with 20000 steps is not the same for every person. It depends on factors like:
-
age
- hight
- weight
- gender
- fitness level
- incline
- heart rate
According to omnicalculator an average person (5 foot 4 inches / 1,65m, 170 pound / 77kg) burns 796.6 kcal.
To give you a better understanding of how much food is 800 calories a day is:
2.5 orders Mc Donald’s french fries (medium) -> 800 kcal
You can look up the calories of you favourite foods at calorieking.com.
Can I lose weight walking 20000 steps a day?
Yes, it is possible to lose weight with walking. However, it is crucial to maintain a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.
Walking is one of the best aerobic exercises. It is gentle on your joints and easy to do! It’s affordable (because it’s free), flexible (easy to integrate into your daily life.
When you start your walking journey make sure to wear good cushioned insoles to avoid foot pain. Insoles which provide flexible arch support are the best choice to avoid any kind of discomfort when walking.
Walking 20000 steps daily can also have significant strengthening effect on your calves and legs in general.
Combine walking with a decent diet and quality sleep, the weight loss magic starts happening at this rate; after a couple of months, you notice a reduction in body fat and an increase in stamina for walking, more energy, and better digestion, deeper sleep quality.
Over the next 3 months you will see a drastic fat reduction.
A lot of people wonder “How to lose face fat overnight?” and the reality is that is impossible to target fat loss in a specific region.
Stay with walking, and you will lose plenty of body fat.
Muscle tissue is metabolically more active than fat and burns more calories than fat tissue. As a result, the more muscles you have, the bigger your resting energy expenditure, which means that your body burns more calories “while doing nothing”.
20000 steps is a lot and if you struggle to get your steps in, start with 10000 steps daily or going around the block of your neighbourhood and increase the duration and volume gradually.
Is 20k steps a day too much?
For a healthy person with no underlying health issues 20000 is not too much. But we highly recommend listening to your body. If you are in constant pain from walking adjust or pause walking until you feel comfortable.
In general, the more you put in, the more you get out.
Start with walking 7500 steps per day, you will see significant benefit, both in short-term health and health outcomes over the long haul. But within reason, more is better. So 10000 or 20000 steps daily is going to deliver even more benefits. Higher calorie burn, longer endurance, better heart health, more strength and longevity.
Try going at a faster pace, and your benefits will multiply.
But walking is a great exercise, no matter how fast you go.
The key is to do it regularly.
20000 steps a day weight loss results
Kristin Huges, 43 years old from California shares her weight loss results after walking 20000 steps a day for 1 year.
“I make it a priority to always walk at least 20000 steps per day. That's 9 miles. My apple watch is my constant companion.
A bit of personal history here. I am a middle-aged woman (5′ 8″) who loves to cook, bake and eat and has a slow metabolism. So, the cards have always been somewhat stacked against me and I was always heavier than most of my friends. When I read a blog post from my favorite travel blogger on walking 20000 steps a day I was motivated to try it myself.
When you start out your body might struggle to keep up with the new routine if you haven't been physically active lately, but after a few days you'll lock into a rhythm.
Do not make the same mistake as I did and walk in your VANS or Converse. They are my trusted every day shoes but they caused terrible foot pain for me since they do not have a proper footbed.
I didn’t want to spends hundreds of dollars on running shoes. Adding a pair of insoles for walking with flexible arch support was a game changer for me. My feet are less sore at the end of my walks and less tired.
What are the benefits or walking? Well, after a while you will notice yourself breathing much easier and quieter. This is because as your heart and lungs are strengthened by the exercise, they no longer have to work as hard to give you the wind and blood flow you need to be healthy.
You will also notice an improvement in your skin. It will become firmer and have a rosy glow. Exercising naturally increases the body's secretion of HGH (human growth hormone). As we age, levels of this hormone drop in our bodies; this decrease contributes to the aging process. So perhaps the fountain of youth is as close as your comfortable walking shoes.
Another change will be found at your thighs. You may find yourself having to buy pants in the next smallest size.
Overall I lost 33 lbs (15kg) within one year and it didn't feel like a workout at all. Now I look forward to my walks everyday.
It's been said that a person's best doctor is their own two feet. The body changes I've described above I've personally witnessed in myself.”
