Hit 10,000 steps every day for 3 weeks straight and nobody warned me about the blisters

I started tracking my steps because my doctor said I needed to move more. 3 weeks ago I decided to actually commit to 10,000 a day. First week was fine, second week my feet hurt, third week I got blisters between my toes that are still healing. The weird part is my energy level went up but my mood took a dive because I was forcing walks at 10pm just to hit the number. So here's the debate: is 10,000 steps an arbitrary goal that big fitness companies pushed on us, or is it a legit health target backed by science? Because I keep reading conflicting studies online. What number or milestone have you run into that made you question the whole system? Did you hit a certain weight on the scale or a savings goal that felt off? I want to hear if other people have had a goal that seemed right but turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.holly12d ago

Is it the blisters that are making you rethink the whole 10k thing, or is it more about how it started feeling like a chore you had to finish no matter what? I tried that goal years ago and noticed I felt way more pressure than actual health benefit, because I would speed walk around my house at 11pm just to see the number go up. I read somewhere the 10k thing started as a marketing campaign for a pedometer in Japan, not real science, so now I just aim for whatever feels like a solid walk without checking a screen.

juliagonzalez12d ago

Isn't that just how everything turns into a numbers game these days?