I Took 10,000 Steps A Day for 21 Days – Here’s What Happened

I’m so excited to announce a new series on my blog that starts today! In Make the Habit I challenge myself to try a new healthy habit for 21 days, break down my results, and decide if I’m going to continue the habit or break it. This month, I tried to walk 10,000 steps a day, every day! Stay tuned to my life section for more episodes coming soon!

I’m definitely not an inactive person. I go to the gym semi-regularly (before COVID of course), and enjoy the occasional hike or walk. But once I started counting my steps?

I couldn’t believe how few steps I was getting. Especially in quarantine, my activity levels dropped. Some days my steps looked more like 10 than 10,000.

Since I started this challenge 3 weeks ago, I’ve seen lots of positive changes, but I’ve faced lots of obstacles as well. Keep reading to learn more about my journey and my recommendations for implementing these changes in your own life!

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or fitness expert. Consult a health professional before undertaking any new fitness regimen.

This post may include affiliate links. That means that if you decide to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your continued support!

Why 21 Days?

How long does it take to form a new habit? The answer is different depending on who you ask, your personality, and the habit that you hope to implement in your life. For the purposes of this series, I’ve decided to choose 21. Although it’s hotly debated, 21 days is accepted as the minimum number of days it takes to start cementing a new habit. 21 days is the perfect amount of time to try a new behavior and set you on the right path to maintaining it in the long term!

Why 10,000 Steps?

The 10,000 step goal has been around since the ’60s. Studies have shown that taking at least 10,000 steps can lead to:

• Weight loss
• Decreased risk of various health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndromes.
• Stronger muscles and bones
• Improved mood
• Better posture
• Promotes relaxation

Keep in mind that we all have different bodies and fitness needs. Your goal may need to be higher or lower than mine, and that’s okay! Motivating yourself to move with a goal, no matter how big or small, can have great benefits for everyone.

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How to Track Your Steps

There are so many ways to track your step goals – in fact, you might even be reading this article on one! During this challenge, I used my iPhone and the free app StepsApp. StepsApp provides a daily, weekly, and monthly breakdown of your goals that you can use to stay on track. There is a premium version with some extra features, but the free version was perfect for this experiment!

While StepsApp and other similar phone apps work wonderfully, there are some drawbacks to counting your steps this way. I needed to be glued to my phone in order for my steps to be counted. Also, I’m not convinced it’s as accurate as an activity tracker or smartwatch – some days my boyfriend’s Garmin watch would show a much higher step count than StepsApp, even though we had walked together all day.

Because of this, I’ve decided to invest in an activity tracker to continue tracking my steps. Plus, they can also track your sleep or other activities like swimming or bike riding. Here are three I’ve been eyeing so far – let me know in the comments which one is your favorite!

You can shop the Garmin Vivosmart here, the Fitbit Versa 2 here, and the Fitbit Charge 2 here.

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My Experience

Week 1 – 81,092 total steps

Week 1 was both the easiest and hardest week of this entire experiment. When you dive headfirst into a new challenge, you’re normally excited and extra motivated. Most days I not only hit my 10,000 step goal but surpassed it. I was a walking machine!

I also learned a lot about how many steps 10,000 actually is (Spoiler alert: it’s a lot). On day 2 I planned a 2-hour hike in the evening, assuming that would get me to 10,000… Nope. I ended the hike at around 8,000 and had to pace around my house until I hit my goal at 11:55 pm.

Week 1 also taught me just how much fun walking can be. It was a great way to connect with my community and the world around me. I found paths and lookouts in my neighbourhood that I never knew existed! I started meeting neighbours (and adorable cats) that I had never even seen before! Especially during quarantine, getting out to spend some time in the world became extremely therapeutic for me. Exercise and spending time outside was definitely having a positive impact on my mood.

But going from minutes to hours of walking a day wreaked some serious havoc on my body. My feet and legs were SO TIRED at the end of every day. My sneakers started rubbing the back of my ankle and I bled through my socks (yikes) on a few hikes.

If you’re planning on trying your very own #MakeTheHabit challenge, please invest in comfortable shoes (mine are Gel-Cumulus 18 from ASICS which you can find here – super comfy now that I’ve broken them in some more). You’ll be putting a lot of mileage on your sneakers, so you need to make sure they’re up to the challenge too!

Week 2 – 70,186 total steps

Week 2 was trickier than week 1 for a lot of reasons – but mostly it was the rain.

When you’re trying to implement a big life change, finding ways to fit it into your routine is crucial. In week 1 I had fallen into a pretty solid routine – I would get ~3,000 steps in the morning or afternoon, then get 7,000 on a longer hike in the evening.

But suddenly my crystal clear skies were replaced with torrential downpour for most of week 2. I walked in the rain some days, but when I wasn’t in the mood to feel like a drowned rat, I had to get creative.

Week 2 made me realize that walking isn’t the only way to get to 10,000 steps. I started getting steps by dancing, working out, and even cleaning my room! As long as you’re moving, you’re contributing to your step goals and your overall fitness. Switching up the different ways that I got my steps kept me motivated.

Near the end of week 2, I started noticing some changes in my body. My legs started looking stronger. More importantly, I felt stronger. Hiking became easier, and many of the aches and pains from week 1 had started to subside. I felt like I was getting good at this!

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Week 3 – 67,919 total steps

In weeks 1 and 2, I obsessively checked my steps throughout the day to make sure I was on track to meet my goals. But by week 3, I had started slacking a little bit. I assumed that I would hit 10,000 steps every day, which lead to 2 days where I didn’t quite hit my target.

During my third week, I got some steps from walking on the treadmill as well. It was a great way to turn my Netflix time into active time! But it did make me realize that not all steps are created equal. The treadmill was way easier than walking on the road, which was in turn a lot easier than an uphill hike. Moving is always good! But certain types of movement will give you more opportunities for increased heart rate and working your muscles.

Keeping your motivation high through to the end of the challenge can be difficult. But walking with friends and family kept me moving through week 3. Having people to keep me accountable meant I was more likely to push myself to hit 10,000.

Big shoutout to my amazing boyfriend Leo for all our 10 pm walks when he realized I hadn’t hit my goal yet, and to my mom for always encouraging me to do one more lap around our neighbourhood. Thanks to their support, I was able to stay on track and complete this experience with 219,197 total steps in 3 weeks. I did it!

Final Thoughts

Today is the first day in weeks that I haven’t been obligated to complete my 10,000 steps. But today… I want to. Making this habit has already had a huge impact on my overall health, fitness, and mood.

Having a specific goal made me more likely to get enough exercise every day. But at the same time, there were days when my schedule made it a lot harder to get enough steps. As I continue tracking my steps in the future, I think my goal will be hitting 10,000 on most days. Having an objective is great, but you need to remember that you’re human. And sometimes humans are busy, sick, or in need of a rest. Strive towards your goal every day, but still be kind to yourself when you don’t quite get there.

I can’t wait to keep tracking my movement and continue working towards a more healthy and happy me!

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Take the 10,000 Step Challenge!

Are you interested in taking on your own step challenge? Come make the habit with me!

I will be posting regular updates on my socials about my continuing journey. Why not follow along so we can stay accountable together?

What do you think about my quest to hit 10,000 steps? Have you ever tried a challenge like this? Let’s chat about it in the comments! Here’s to finding a happier, healthier life with every step we take. Sending all my love,