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‘I walked 25k steps per day for a year, here are 12 things I’ve learned’

Walking 10,000 steps a day has been the talk of the fitness town for a hot minute. With health benefits such as enhanced cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and even reduced risk of dementia, it’s no wonder that steps have become the gold standard for a healthy lifestyle, but FYI, 10k is not the golden number.

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Studies show that 4k could be enough to improve your health, while the NHS states that a brisk 10-minute walk per day could do the job.

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Athlete Keltie O’Connor felt the benefits from just 1k steps per day, but over the past year, has averaged around 25k (or 10 miles). She documented the journey on her YouTube channel, where she shared everything she’s learned in the process…

1.Tracking steps can be fun

‘I got a FitBit, and suddenly I started noticing, I’m getting a lot of steps. The competitive side in me was digging it. I was getting victory points; I was beating people. This was fun.’

2. But not tracking them could be more suited to you

‘After a few months, I just thought I’m going to try and walk everywhere. I didn’t think, “I’m going to walk 25k a day”, it’s just that’s where my steps usually end up around when I choose to walk everywhere. I just wanted to explore.’

3. Music can make walking more enjoyable

‘I noticed I missed driving around town and listening to music, so I got headphones and I would just walk everywhere. Time would fly by.’

4. Walking can promote mental clarity

‘It gets really cold [where I live] in Halifax, and I noticed my steps going down because I was driving again. I remember the confusion coming back. I felt like I was in a funk. Something was off, but I couldn’t even realise what was off. I had no outlet for my brain and my emotions. I hated that I was driving again. I felt this tension. I had this feeling of trapped.

‘Then I decided to bundle up in December and January and started to walk everywhere again, and things started to feel good. I made a lot of big life decisions, I left a relationship that wasn’t working, I fostered other friendships, got closer with my best friends, got closer with my family. I had this time of reflection, meditation, moving my body.

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‘There was a sense of clarity and finding myself, it was so therapeutic.’

According to science, aerobic activities like walking and running ramp up the production of the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins, improving mood and relaxing your mind. Walking has also been linked with reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol, keeping anxiety and agitation at bay.

5. It could boost your vitamin D levels

‘I would go to the doctor to get my blood work and my Vitamin D would be on point.’

Indeed, a recent study found that endurance exercises like brisk walking or jogging could boost Vitamin D levels in people with Vitamin D deficiency.

6. It will save you money

‘I noticed I was saving money on the gas I was previously spending on to drive. It is the cheapest thing for our mental and physical health.’

7. Walking could help you realise your values

‘I felt like I was giving back to the earth. Sustainability is something I’m so passionate about, and walking made me feel so close to the earth.

‘If I chose not to drive my car to work and chose to walk, I directly, on that day, do not contribute to more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.’

Sure enough, transport accounted for 26 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, making it the most polluting sector, and walking and cycling can significantly cut down carbon footprints and help tackle the climate crisis, as per research.

8. It encourages human connection

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‘Instead of getting an Uber, I would walk, and exploring was great. Honestly, how many times have you gone home from the bar and that is just the best time of the night, when you are talking to your friends, and you are just out? This is what life is about. These moments.’

Socialising while walking rules out loneliness while also promoting brain cell activities by analysing speech, body language and facial expressions, according to a study. Research notes that dog walking can also boost your physical activity as it makes you responsible for each other and adds a layer of fun.

9. It gives you the time to learn something new

‘I listened to podcasts, I listened to self-help books, when else are you gonna find time to do that?’

10. It’s a gentle form of movement

‘I have lost my period many times throughout my life and for me, it is not over-exercising, it is not undereating. It is a stress thing. Walking was this stress off my body, because I could finally comprehend what was going on in my brain.’

Between 14 per cent to 25 per cent of women experience menstrual irregularities, as per research. If you happen to be one of them, walking can help regulate your menstrual cycle. Science finds that walking helps stabilise hormonal imbalances and can also relieve cramping and bloating when you are on your period.

11. Walking promotes cardio endurance and boosts your metabolism

‘I am not telling you that the ultimate way to get in shape is to walk more but it is an easy way to improve your cardiovascular endurance and you are going to burn more calories. If you are always like “My metabolism is so slow”, know that we are not meant to sit all day. We are meant to move!’

12. Start small

As O’Connor wraps up her YouTube video, she says, ‘Next time you get to go on your vehicle, maybe just walk. Start with a 10-minute walk outside, have the sun on your face and trust me, it might be the best thing you have ever done.’

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