I tried walking 30,000 steps a day. It changed how I sleep (2024)

I'd previously set a challenge of 15,000 steps a day for a week and completed it, pleased with the results. So I challenged myself again: To walk 30,000 steps daily for two weeks.

Getting in enough steps can be challenging, but I found it feasible by breaking it down into smaller blocks, like taking short walks during work breaks or between calls.

I typically average around 12,000 steps per day, so I had to make a conscious effort to increase this number. Adding a few runs also boosted my step count, though that's not necessarily the best way to achieve more steps.

I realized I had to be fully engaged in this challenge. Walking an average of 30,000 steps a day seems unrealistic for someone with a busy daily life. And studies I read suggested that an average increase of just 2,500 steps a day yields benefits.

However, I chose to push the limits to observe any physiological changes.

My daily step count varied quite widely during the two weeks. The data revealed fluctuations in my walking routine; some days I walked more than 30,000 steps, and some fewer. On some, I exceeded 40,000 steps; on others, I managed around 17,000.

On average, I almost made it. The first week averaged at 29,600 steps a day and the second week was 29,466. To address this shortfall, I significantly increased my walking on the fifteenth day, bringing my average up.

The purpose was to explore the impacts of increasing my walking activity. There are a lot of well-known scientifically endorsed benefits to walking, such as improved stress levels and cardiovascular health, and the release of endorphins.

But there are some less well-known advantages too, such as improved sleep quality through exposure to morning sunlight, inspiration for which I took from the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.

What better way to get sunlight than a morning walk?

There are many reasons I walk. But one of my biggest is managing sleep difficulties; I find it very hard to sleep, and going for walks really helps me.

A recent Hungarian study demonstrated significant improvements in sleep quality among individuals who increased their daily steps.

It took two groups of sedentary people ages 19 to 36. Half of them were instructed to walk 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day for four weeks and then report back on issues relating to sleep; the other group changed nothing about their activity or habits.

By the end of the study, it was clear that walking improved all aspects of sleep quality.

One of the most obvious reasons why increasing the frequency of walks can positively impact your sleep is physical tiredness, which is widely recognized.

But walking, like other forms of physical activity, also influences a range of chemicals in the brain, including cell signaling proteins and brain neurotransmitters.

Researchers believe that this influence also enhances sleep quality. Additionally, physical activity is known to reduce levels of depression and anxiety, which are often significant disruptors of sleep.

Furthermore, walking increases the levels of a molecule known as BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). BDNF plays a crucial role in the functioning and growth of brain cells.

Therefore, one of the most effective ways to stimulate neuroplasticity is through walking, particularly brisk walking.

As the brain registers this physical activity, it adapts by forming new neural connections. These connections not only improve cognitive abilities but also fortify areas of the brain that are prone to age-related decline.

In another interesting study, conducted by neuroscientists at Duquesne University, women were asked to walk three, five, and ten times over the course of a week, with each walking session lasting about 30 minutes at a moderate pace.

The researchers then assessed the women's pain perception when exposed to heat and pressure.

Remarkably, the results showed that those who walked five to ten times a week experienced a 60 percent reduction in pain perception following the walks, compared to their initial pain levels at the start of the study.

The researchers conducted similar tests across all the groups to measure individual pain tolerance, and these tests were repeated throughout the study.

The underlying reason for this reduction in pain perception appears to be linked to the increase in certain brain chemicals known as the endogenous opioid system, which is activated by movement. This system acts like the body's natural pain relief mechanism.

Interestingly, the study suggests that you don't need to be a runner to activate these endorphins; walking can have a similar effect. Furthermore, there is evidence indicating that the more one walks, the higher their pain tolerance becomes.

A big issue with modern lifestyles is their tendency to encourage sedentariness, especially for those with desk jobs like me. But it's common knowledge now that moving around is more healthy for your body.

A lot of people fall into the trap of going to the gym for an hour of intense exercise and then sitting down for the rest of the day. This, however, doesn't offset the negative aspects of sitting down for long periods of time.

Walking heals the ills—that sitting for a long time can cause.

A study by the American Cancer Society in 2010 of 123,216 men and women and what they found was sitting for a substantial percentage of one's waking time increased the risk of dying exponentially.

Men and women who sit for more than six hours a day are 18 percent and 37 percent respectively more likely to die before people who sit less than three hours a day.

What really caught my eye is the negative effects were just as strong in people who exercised regularly. That study was really shocking to me. It was saying that even if you do exercise regularly, it's not enough if you're sitting for long periods.

Moreover, striding, walking, trekking—whichever way you do it, walking puts your hips into extension and lengthens the tissue shortened by sitting, and puts your body back into biomechanical balance.

The feet alone contain 26 bones, 30 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, all benefiting from the forces and contractions of walking.

Additionally, walking aids in cellular waste removal, enhancing exercise adaptations by stimulating the lymphatic system.

I was curious if the physiological changes would be more noticeable over a short two-week period.

During this experiment, I lost two kilograms. I'm not sure if it's fat loss, but I definitely feel leaner. This reminds me of when I did the 15,000 steps challenge. Back then, I actually gained weight because I was much hungrier.

In this experiment, though, I lost weight because I walked a large number of steps, much more than I would in normal life. I don't plan to keep walking 30,000 steps a day. It feels like a big commitment, constantly checking my Fitbit app.

Some days, I don't feel like walking at all. I'd rather stay home and watch Netflix. This is unusual for me, but I've been walking so much lately that I need a change.

Still, walking has been a great way to catch up with friends. We either walk together or I talk to them on the phone while walking. Before I know it, I've walked 10,000 steps.

I'm just grateful to have the ability to walk.

Jade Alvares makes fitness and physical challenge videos on her YouTube channel, Jade's Fitness Bucket List.

All views expressed are the author's own.

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