What Happens To Your Body When You Walk 10K Steps Per Day

Learn how this simple daily activity can transform you mentally and physically.

Adam Meyer is a health writer, certified holistic nutritionist and 100% plant-based athlete. In addition to EatingWell, his work has been featured on The Beet, Verywell Fit, The Healthy, Livestrong, Alive, Best Life and others. He graduated from the NutraPhoria School of Holistic Nutrition in 2019 and has since founded Pillars Nutrition.

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

Walking 10,000 steps per day, which equates to walking about 5 miles, has been a benchmark health goal for a while. Interesting fact: The number originated as part of a marketing campaign for an early step counter leading up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and has slowly become the adopted benchmark of daily step counts. The average American gets far less than this—logging between 4,000 and 5,000 steps per day, according to the National Institutes of Health. There's some evidence that upping your daily strides can have some surprising benefits, according to a 2022 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Here are some of them.

Engaging in any form of physical activity triggers the release of endorphins—feel-good chemicals that can boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. For additional benefits, getting your 10,000 steps outdoors in nature can significantly increase mental health and relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a 2022 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. In addition, regular walking can improve cognitive function and memory, according to 2023 research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports.

"Walking 10,000 steps daily will help you feel more focused, sharp and happier—leading to fewer feelings of physical tension, providing both mental and physical benefits," says Rachel MacPherson, CPT, an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews.

Walking can have a positive impact on your joint health. In two different analyses using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a 2-year longitudinal observational study, walking benefited individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Individuals who walked for exercise experienced less frequent new knee pain, according to a 2022 study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology. Daily walking was also not associated with an increased risk of knee replacement for those with existing osteoarthritis, according to a 2021 study published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. If you have existing joint pain, engaging in regular low-impact exercise like walking can help relieve pain and prevent joint-related issues in the long run.

"Walking is a natural human movement that improves joint health without the impact of higher-intensity exercises like running, which can aggravate any joint issues you may have," says MacPherson. "It helps increase circulation and joint fluid, keeping your tissues healthy and moving well." So while it might be tempting to skip exercise if you have achy joints, walking can truly be beneficial. "When you don't move enough, your muscles, tendons and ligaments can become weak or tight in certain areas, especially if you sit a lot," she adds.

While a brisk stroll may not be as vigorous as high-intensity workouts like running or spinning, it is an effective way to increase caloric expenditure and support intentional weight loss, along with other efforts supervised by your healthcare provider. In a study of postmenopausal women, walking at all speeds can produce fat loss, according to 2022 research published in Nutrients. Plus, it's a low-impact exercise, making it accessible for all fitness levels. It elevates your heart rate and activates muscles like your quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings, helping to burn calories and strengthen your lower body.

"If you add walking to your day, you may find maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight to happen naturally without even noticing," says MacPherson.

Walking is considered an active recovery method following intense exercise or strength training, and can support recovery and promote blood flow to your muscles, helping to prevent muscle stiffness and allow your body to recover faster, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology.

"Active recovery is a more leisurely workout that includes movement that won't be strenuous enough to cause any further damage to your muscles and won't require a lot of effort or nutritional demands to perform," says MacPherson. "Walking 10,000 steps daily can improve your recovery so you are less likely to have sore muscles, and you will perform better during your next workout. Active recovery helps improve the overall recovery process by stimulating blood flow that brings nutrients to the tissues that need it most."

Walking 10,000 steps daily offers a slew of physical and mental health benefits. For example, it can support healthy weight loss, improve joint health, boost mood and brain function and aid recovery. Also, walking is a low-impact exercise that's accessible to most people. So, if you're looking for an enjoyable and effective way to improve your fitness level and overall health, lace up those walking shoes (or walking sandals) and get your steps in!