I Walked 10k Steps Most Days This Summer— Here’s What I’ve Learned

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If you had asked me a few months ago what kind of exercise made the biggest difference in my life, I probably would have talked about strength training or HIIT workouts. And while I still think both have an important place, this summer reminded me that sometimes the simplest habits end up having the biggest impact.

Almost every day this summer, I made it a goal to walk 10,000 steps. Not because 10,000 is some magical number or because I was trying to burn as many calories as possible.

As someone who works from home, writes at a computer, and homeschools my kids, it's surprisingly easy to spend an entire day without realizing how little I've actually moved. I just wanted to move more and have something to hold myself accountable to.

This post shares all about what I’ve learned in the last few months, how I have implemented the habit, and some helpful tools if you are hoping to increase your steps throughout the day.

I Didn't Realize How Sedentary I'd Become

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that being sedentary has a way of feeding itself. The less you move, the less you want to move.

You start sitting down for "just a minute," which somehow turns into an hour. I don't think it's because we're lazy. I think our bodies simply adapt to whatever we repeatedly ask of them. How does the saying go— what we repeatedly do, we get better at.

If we spend most of our day sitting, sitting begins to feel like the norm. And I started to notice myself getting into that pattern….

Sure, I was working out 3-4 days a week and taking daily walks.. but in total, I was averaging about 1 hr of intentional movement a day. The rest was spent doing housework, social outings, or sitting (so much sitting) while playing with my kids, working on my laptop, or reading.

But the Opposite Is Also True

The really encouraging part? Movement also builds momentum.

After a couple of weeks of intentionally getting my steps in, I noticed something interesting. Instead of looking for opportunities to sit down, I naturally started looking for opportunities to move. It was less of a hassle and something that just came more naturally.

The hardest part truly was the first week, when it was not yet the norm, and it was taking more effort.

10,000 Steps Is More Doable Than You Think

When people hear 10,000 steps, it often sounds overwhelming. Believe me, I used to think so too. Which is funny because i’ll easily walk 20,000+ steps a day while traveling 😂

But once I stopped trying to get all 10,000 at once, it became surprisingly manageable.

Instead of thinking: "I need to walk five miles today."

I started looking for small opportunities to add steps to my day:

• A quick walk after breakfast.

• Walking while the kids play outside. (I literally will just walk laps around the playground while they get their wiggles out)

• Parking farther away.

• A short walk after dinner.

• A few laps around the house while dinner cooks.

• Using the walking pad while I write content or coach clients

Those little moments add up faster than you'd expect. Some days I hit 10,000 before dinner without ever taking one long dedicated walk.

Other days I needed an evening stroll to finish things off. Either way, small consistent movement throughout the day was much easier than trying to get it all in one go (and science shows that it’s actually more beneficial to have small amounts of activity consistently throughout the day like that).

Easy Ways to Increase Your Daily Step Count

If you're trying to become more active without adding another workout to your schedule, here are a few simple habits that genuinely helped me:

Walk First Thing in the Morning

I love taking a 10-15 minute walk after breakfast. It’s nothing fast or exerting. Honestly, my kids mostly set the pace 😅 But it’s a great way to help get morning sunshine, aid digestion, support blood sugar balance, and start making progress on that 10k goal.

Walk After Meals

This has become one of my favorite habits. Not only does it help add steps, but it has huge benefits on your blood sugar regulation. Some studies show up to a 30% decrease in a blood sugar spike when walking after meals.

Park a Little Farther Away

Whenever someone says this, I always thought it was so funny. Like obviously you could park further to walk more… But in reality, I think our first instinct is often convenience. We live in such an instant society, where we never have to wait very long for anything. I think that over time, that primes our brain to always look for the quickest, most efficient route or option possible.

It takes time to train your brain to allow more time in between activities, to intentionally choose the slower option, and not only pick the less convenient way but to prioritize it.

Turn Phone Calls Into Walks

Before, I would regularly camp out on the couch while talking on the phone or facetiming. But since trying to increase my step count, I use speakerphone a lot more and try to take a walk— even if it’s just laps around my house.

Let Your Kids Set the Pace

I’m all for cranking out a faster-paced walk, but sometimes that is just not realistic in my current season of life. I have a 5 and 3 year old, who are more at the… meandering stage. We pick flowers, find rocks, stop at the neighborhood free little library, and overall have a really nice time.

I’ve found that taking things at their pace allows for us all to enjoy the time, as opposed to it becoming a fight.

A Few Things That Made the Habit Easier

While I wish that I could spend all my time leisurely walking in nature, that’s just not the reality of my life. I have work and responsibilities like most people. So I try to implement things that make it a bit easier strategically. Now these are not must-haves by any means— and actually, I am a huge advocate for implementing all the free wellness habits first before ever spending a bunch of money.

But the reality is that some investments just make things easier. These are some that have helped me to more easily accomplish 10k steps a day.

A Walking Pad

One of the best purchases I've made recently has been a walking pad. I found a cheap, pre-loved one on fb marketplace and use it nearly every single day. I don’t have a standing desk (although I’m keeping my eye out for a used one), but I just use my bar-height counter, which works great.

On extra hot days, smoky days, or when I'm working on blog posts or coaching protocols, I can still get steps in without leaving the house.

If you are looking for one, try to find one that stands upright for storage like this one. It makes it so much easier to store in a closet and tuck it out of the way when not in use.

Optimal footwear

I’ve worn barefoot shoes for years now, and they have made such a difference in my gait, foot pain, and ankle strength. If you are new to the idea of barefoot shoes, they are basically wider shoes that allow your feet and toes to spread naturally. They also have thinner soles with less support, allowing your foot to stabilize itself and get naturally stronger over time.

While they took a little adjustment at first, they now feel incredibly comfortable for longer walks. They've made me much more aware of my posture and how I naturally walk. When you require more of your body, it is good to ensure you support it as best you can.

Related Reads:

• A Beginner’s Guide To Barefoot Shoes: The Pros + Cons

Tracking My Steps

I personally use a Garmin watch to track my daily movement, but honestly, any step tracker works. There are very affordable ones you can get on Amazon. (like this one)

Whether it's a smartwatch, a fitness tracker, or simply the Health app already on your phone, having some way to measure your progress can be surprisingly motivating. I didn't obsess over the number. It was just a simple way to keep track and hold myself accountable.

I specifically tried to hit the 5,000 step mark by noon. I found that if I intentionally hit that goal, the rest of the day was very easy and I wasn’t squeezing in steps later in the day.

What Health Benefits I’ve Noticed

My main goal going into this was just increased daily movement. I’ve read all the studies that talk about the enormous health benefits of staying active, and that was the main motivation. But there were a few additional things I noticed along the way:

• feeling less bloated and puffy— I think the main reason for this is that regular movement helps to keep your body’s lymphatic system moving. This supports your body’s natural detoxification systems

• better stress regulation— i’ve always known this about myself, but it was confirmed while focusing on this goal: my mental and emotional regulation is always better when I am active. That’s a known fact for many people, but I think we often overlook it. We feel like we need another resource, another therapy sesh, another self-help book… and while none of those things are inherently wrong, it causes us to minimize the efficacy of the basics.

• More outside time— i would rather walk outside than on my walking pad any day. So naturally, I feel like prioritizing steps leads me to getting outside more. The downstream benefits of increased time outdoors include better nervous system regulation, increased vitamin D levels, and a better immune system.

  Related Reads:

• Simple Ways to Keep Your Nervous System Healthy

The Biggest Takeaway

While I appreciate the extra movement, the better stress response, and supporting my body’s overall fitness, what I really love is the reminder that wellness doesn’t have to be fancy. Or expensive. You can make lasting improvements to your health and wellness with simple, free habits repeated over a prolonged period of time.

Walking, deep breathing, stretching, spending time with family and friends…

If you are looking for more free ways to support your wellness, check out this blog post with over 100+ ideas for free wellness habits!

Kaelyn

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