Walking has plenty of physical health benefits, but they aren’t the main reason this Brit has comitted to completing at least 10,000 steps a day, every day long term.

Harry Bullmore says, “In my eyes, walking is one of the most overlooked forms of exercise. But its innocuousness is the very reason it can unlock impressive benefits for the majority of people.

“Walking is accessible, enjoyable and low-impact, but still boasts a bunch of health perks. These range from improving fitness and weight management to less expected effects like boosting your mood and emotional health. As someone who’s walked at least 10,000 steps a day for more than two years now, the benefits keep the habit going!”

So, why 10k? Did you know that the 10k steps goal is derived from the 1960’s Japanese step counter called the Manpo-kei? Manpo-kei translates to 10 thousand steps metre, it specifically measured every 10k steps.

A 2023 study by the University of Granada claimed the figure has “no scientific basis” and it instead identified 8,000 steps per day as the sweet spot for “significantly reducing the risk of premature death”. But fit pros, including Andrew Hill, explains that this is nonsense. The more steps we achieve, the better it is for our health and waistline. The difference of 2000 steps is nearly a full kilometre or more! And for those who want to lose weight, targeting specifically body fat, whilst feeling great then 10k or more steps is essential.

Harry explains the reason he walks 10 thousand steps per day is “because it serves a purpose, or because you enjoy it. And for me, walking ticks both boxes.” Harry discusses the importance of forming habits and essentially, forming these habits through activities one can enjoy.

He continues, “when I’m working from home, a quick lunchtime loop of the park never fails to send my mood skyward… an evening jaunt with my dog remains my favourite way to unwind. As someone who grew up in the countryside, there are bonus feel-good points on offer if the walk is somewhere green.”

A 2020 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health  supports this idea concluding that regular walkers “had better emotional health than those who did not exercise regularly. The average number of walks per week was significantly and positively associated with emotional health, however, the average walk duration had no significant impact on the emotional health of respondents.“

So whilst you don’t need to make 10k steps to enjoy the benefits of walking, 10k is optimal for fat loss and a good fit for the average person’s lifestyle. Not only that, it guarantees you’re meeting the government recommended guideline for physical activity which is designed to support and promote positive health.

Bullmore explains “It reminds me to take regular breaks from my desk during the work day and correlates with spending an amount of time outside capable of keeping my happiness at a premium,” and it demonstrates how easily his goal can be fit around work without impacting other commitments, “if I’m feeling a bit sluggish in the afternoon, a glance at my smartwatch inevitably tells me I’m falling short of this goal,” allowing him to focus on achieving the habit-forming goal.

It doesn’t have to be difficult

Harry says that only a small amount of his daily steps are from deliberately planned exercise. In fact, most of his steps are achieved during his day to day life, going about his business making more positive choices, such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift or getting off the bus a stop early. These small behavioural changes go a long way towards success.

During a recent interview with sports scientist and WalkActive founder, Joanna Hall, Bullmore discovered that he can make up an deficit in his step count by simply identifying a place that is five, ten or fifteen minutes away and simply walking there and back. In doing so, the out and back route is available to him whilst he’s stuck between clients waiting or to kill time during his lunch break, by having this tool in his arsenal, he knows he can get his steps in without sacrificing any other area of his life! Not only if he improving his fitness and combating body fat but he’s not letting down any friends, family or employers in the pursuit of better health.

It’s accessible 

Harry Bullmore watched a fitness influencer get ready for a run on Instagram and “between the energy gels, sunglasses, specialist vest and other running paraphernalia, it looked like a military operation”, he explains. “I’m all for that – if you’re passionate about something, why not throw the kitchen sink at it?” he added, but for those of us who are too busy to engage such an operation, for those who are time-savvy and want to add movement to their daily routine easily then walking is the most accessible solution. It’s literally as simple as placing one foot in front of the other and the average reader will be an expert at this already!

Bullmore explains that “there’s no commute or membership fees to worry about” when comparing walking to visiting the gym.

The NHS recommends adults aged 19-64 do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week and that sounds like a lot but realistically, it’s just a brisk 22 minute walk per day. The pay-off is incredible and let’s face it, all of us has a spare twenty minutes per day we waste sitting down channel surfing or doom scrolling.

“People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers,” the NHS has stated on their website on the topic of the important of exercise for health. “Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”

It’s enjoyable and flexible

Going for a run or taking part in a HIIT class takes commitment and scheduling. But walking is so flexible. You can do it anywhere, at any time. Even driving down the road, if the whim arises, you can park up and just go for a stroll!

Harry explains, “People feel they need to sweat and suffer for a workout to count, but exercise is hardly going to become a habit if you hate every second of it, and the workout you consistently do is always going to be more effective than the one you consistently don’t.

“I think walking has something to offer everyone because it’s more approachable than other types of exercise, and there are so many different ways to make it enjoyable. You could meet friends for a social stroll, explore somewhere new on foot or pair your walk with a podcast to keep things interesting.

“My favourite approach is to turn to Google for a new, interesting spot near me, then go and have a mosey around. I’ve uncovered plenty of hidden gems this way, and I’m always surprised by the amount of ground I’ve covered when I take a peek at my Apple Watch afterwards.”

A 2018 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that achieving at least 100 steps per minute is considered “moderate intensity exercise” and that’s not a huge number to achieve. That’s less than two steps per second! This finding fits into the NHS’ weekly physical activity guidelines of “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week”.

Should you walk 10,000 steps a day?

“Doing some physical activity is better than doing none,” is the official line from the World Health Organisation.  a

Walking allows you to introduce some exercise into your week where you would otherwise be sedentary and mostly inactive so by taking part in an activity that’s easy and accessible, it’s going to massively increase your activity levels and for most average Brits in the UK, that’s certainly going to do us a lot of good.

On the topic of fat loss, Harry Bullmore explains “strength training in particular offers impressive bang for your buck, doing exactly what it says on the tin by strengthening your bones, muscles and joints. It also improves your mobility, helping you handle everyday tasks with ease and lowering your risk of injury.

“Lifting weights is something I love to do, along with any number of other activities from gymnastics to football to padel – as a fitness writer, inhaling exercise in all its forms sort of comes with the territory. Yet, I always come back to walking. For me, the mental health benefits are hard to beat, and I find it’s a great way to slow down and gather my thoughts. My three-year-old pup Archie might have something to say if I suddenly stopped, too.”

At DietPal, we and Andrew Hill, the UK’s most exclusive personal trainer, stands firmly behind Harry’s comments. Andrew explains, “Harry is absolutely correct that walking 10k steps per day is a reasonable goal for anyone to achieve, especially in the context of fat loss. It’s difficult to get started but, as Harry says, by implementing small, easy habitual lifestyle changes, we can accomplish any fitness or health related goal. Something as simple as refusing to take the car five minutes up the road to the shop or avoiding the short cut home will really help ramp up physical activity levels without a huge time penalty.