I walked 20,000 steps a day for 30 days - it worked!

Summary

In this episode of 'Science of Self-Care,' Robin shares her transformative experience of walking 20,000 steps daily for 30 days. She discusses the significant improvements in sleep quality, posture, and emotional well-being. Robin also addresses the common concern of time investment, suggesting strategies like combining walking with other activities. She offers tips to enhance the walking experience, such as walking with palms forward and using ankle weights. The video encourages viewers to embrace walking as a keystone habit that can lead to broader life improvements.

Takeaways

• 🚶‍♂️ The speaker shares their personal experience of walking 20,000 steps daily for 30 days and the transformative effects it had on their physical and mental health.
• 🌟 The concept of 'standardizing before optimizing' a new habit, as discussed in 'Atomic Habits', is emphasized as a key strategy for incorporating walking into one's routine.
• 💤 Walking 20,000 steps daily has significantly improved the speaker's sleep quality, highlighting the connection between physical activity and restful sleep.
• 🧍‍♀️ Improved posture and reduced back problems were noted benefits of the walking regimen, suggesting that regular walking can correct body alignment issues.
• 🏃‍♀️ The speaker experienced a leaner and more toned physique from the increased walking, indicating that walking can contribute to fat loss and muscle gain.
• 🌈 Emotional stability and resilience were enhanced through daily walking, which the speaker attributes to the release of endogenous drugs during physical activity.
• ⏱️ Time commitment is identified as a common concern regarding walking, but the speaker suggests combining walking with other activities to maximize efficiency.
• 📚 The speaker recommends using tools like Lumen to track metabolic states and other biohacking tools to enhance the walking experience and deepen the understanding of one's body.
• 📈 Walking is positioned as a keystone habit that can lead to improvements in other areas of life, such as personal organization and financial management.
• 🎯 The speaker encourages viewers to set walking goals without tying self-worth to them, advocating for a balanced approach to goal setting and self-improvement.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Robin's video?

The main focus of Robin's video is to share her experience of walking 20,000 steps a day for the past 30 days and how it has been transformative for her both mentally and physically.

What is the concept of 'standardizing before optimizing' that Robin mentions?

The concept of 'standardizing before optimizing' refers to making a new habit a consistent part of one's routine before fine-tuning or perfecting it. In the context of walking, it means establishing the habit of walking daily before increasing the step count or making other adjustments.

How has walking 20,000 steps daily impacted Robin's sleep quality?

Walking 20,000 steps daily has significantly improved Robin's sleep quality, allowing her to fall into a deep slumber more easily due to the physical exertion.

What physical changes has Robin noticed in her posture from walking?

Robin has noticed improvements in her posture, feeling that her shoulders are more open, and she stands taller, which she attributes to the daily walking routine.

How has walking impacted Robin's emotional stability?

Walking has greatly improved Robin's emotional stability and resilience, making her feel more positive, balanced, and connected to a deep sense of happiness.

What is the main objection Robin hears about walking, and how does she address it?

The main objection Robin hears about walking is the time it takes. She addresses it by suggesting combining walking with other activities, like reading or working, and by reminding viewers that they have more time in a day than they might realize.

What tip does Robin give for improving posture while walking?

Robin suggests walking with palms forward to improve posture, as it forces the chest to open up and can lead to better body alignment and confidence.

How does Robin incorporate walking into her work routine?

Robin has created a makeshift walking treadmill desk, which allows her to walk during her working hours, combining exercise with productivity.

What is the significance of the book 'Atomic Habits' in Robin's video?

The book 'Atomic Habits' is significant because it introduces the concept of 'standardizing before optimizing', which Robin applies to her walking routine and recommends for forming new habits.

What is the 'Umpire' mindset that Robin discusses in relation to goal setting?

The 'Umpire' mindset refers to being objective and non-emotional about the outcomes of one's goals, focusing on observation and curiosity to understand and improve, rather than being overly attached to the results.

Outlines

00:00

🚶‍♂️ The Transformative Power of Walking 20,000 Steps

In the first paragraph, Robin introduces the topic of the video, which is the transformative effects of walking 20,000 steps daily for 30 days. Robin shares a childhood memory of an always-walking man and draws a parallel to their own recent walking routine. The video aims to discuss the physical and mental changes Robin experienced, the challenges faced, and tips for maximizing the benefits of walking. Robin emphasizes the concept of standardizing a new habit before optimizing it, as discussed in James Clear's 'Atomic Habits,' and encourages viewers to start with small, manageable steps before increasing their walking routine.

05:03

🌙 Improved Sleep and Posture: Benefits of Walking

The second paragraph delves into the benefits Robin has noticed from their walking routine. These include better sleep quality, improved posture, and a leaner, toned body. Robin also shares their personal journey of walking and how it has become a form of mental health and meditation, leading to emotional stability and resilience. The paragraph highlights the positive impact of physical activity on releasing endogenous drugs that contribute to feelings of happiness and well-being. Robin also discusses a hypothesis from a psychiatrist about how the repetitive motion of walking might aid in emotional processing, similar to EMDR therapy.

10:04

⏱ Overcoming Time Constraints with Walking

In the third paragraph, Robin addresses the common concern about the time commitment required for walking 20,000 steps daily. To overcome this, Robin suggests combining walking with other activities, such as reading or working. The paragraph also challenges the perception that there isn't enough time in the day for such an activity by calculating the available hours after work and sleep. Robin encourages viewers to reconsider how they spend their time, suggesting that reducing time spent on social media or other less active pursuits can free up time for walking. The paragraph also touches on the idea of walking at a slower pace for a more relaxing experience and the potential for walking to promote fat burning in the body.

15:04

🛠️ Tips and Tools for Enhancing Your Walking Routine

The fourth paragraph offers practical tips to enhance the walking experience and make the most of the time spent walking. Robin suggests walking with palms forward to improve posture, using ankle and wrist weights for added resistance, and incorporating brisk walking or interval training for higher intensity. The paragraph also discusses the benefits of walking for reducing cortisol levels and the use of biohacking tools like Lumen to measure carbohydrate and fat burning. Robin emphasizes that tracking tools can help individuals better understand their bodies and build intuition around their physical responses to exercise. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation to read 'The Slight Edge' for inspiration on forming healthy habits and the importance of taking the first step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Keywords

💡Self-care

Self-care refers to the practice of taking actions to maintain or improve one's health and well-being, especially through activities such as exercise, healthy eating, and mindfulness. In the video, self-care is a central theme as the speaker shares her personal experience of walking 20,000 steps a day as a form of self-care, emphasizing its transformative impact on her life both mentally and physically.

💡Walking

Walking is a form of low-impact exercise that involves moving at a moderate pace by placing one foot in front of the other. The video focuses on walking as a key component of a healthy lifestyle, with the speaker detailing her journey of walking 20,000 steps daily and the positive effects it has had on her sleep, posture, and emotional well-being.

💡Habit Formation

Habit formation is the process of consistently practicing a behavior until it becomes automatic. The video discusses the concept of standardizing a new habit, such as walking, before optimizing it. The speaker suggests making walking a daily routine before focusing on increasing the number of steps, which aligns with the idea of habit formation as outlined in James Clear's 'Atomic Habits'.

💡Sleep Quality

Sleep quality refers to how restful and rejuvenating one's sleep is. In the context of the video, the speaker notes that walking 20,000 steps has improved her sleep quality, allowing her to fall into a deep slumber more easily. This highlights the connection between physical activity and restorative sleep.

💡Posture

Posture is the position in which a person holds their body, particularly when standing or sitting. The video emphasizes the improvement in the speaker's posture due to her increased walking, noting that her shoulders are more open, and she stands taller. The speaker also shares tips on how to enhance the posture benefits of walking.

💡Mental Health

Mental health encompasses a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The video underscores the positive impact of walking on the speaker's mental health, describing it as a form of meditation that has led to increased emotional stability and a deeper sense of happiness.

💡Physical Activity

Physical activity is any movement that works the body, increases heart rate, and uses energy. The video discusses various forms of physical activity, particularly walking, as a means to release endogenous drugs that contribute to feelings of well-being and happiness.

💡Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how time is spent. The video addresses the common concern that walking takes a lot of time, suggesting strategies such as combining walking with other activities and reevaluating daily habits to find time for walking, thus emphasizing effective time management.

💡Body Language

Body language refers to the non-verbal cues, such as posture and gestures, that convey information about a person's thoughts and feelings. The speaker mentions that walking with palms forward has improved her body language, making her walk with more confidence, which is an example of how body language can reflect one's self-assurance.

💡Biohacking

Biohacking is the practice of making changes to one's lifestyle or body to optimize health and well-being. The video touches on biohacking by discussing the use of tools like Lumen, which measures the body's metabolic state, allowing the speaker to gain deeper insights into her body's functions during walking.

💡Goal Setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying and working towards achieving specific objectives. The video encourages viewers to set walking goals, not as a strict requirement, but as a means to inspire a more active lifestyle. The speaker also introduces the concept of being an 'umpire' to one's goals, suggesting a balanced approach to goal setting that avoids emotional attachment to outcomes.

Highlights

The speaker recalls a man from their childhood who was always walking around town, which inspired their own walking journey.

The speaker shares their experience of walking 20,000 steps a day for 30 days and its transformative effects.

Walking 15,000 steps a day was already transformative, but adding 5,000 steps brought additional benefits.

The concept of standardizing a new habit before optimizing it is introduced, based on James Clear's 'Atomic Habits'.

The benefits of walking include improved sleep quality due to increased physical activity.

Better posture and alignment are noticed as a result of daily walking.

The speaker experienced a leaner and toned body, possibly due to increased walking and protein intake.

Emotional stability and resilience are significantly improved through daily walking.

Walking is compared to a form of mental health and meditation, contributing to a deep sense of happiness.

The idea that physical activity releases endogenous drugs that improve mood is discussed.

The speaker shares a hypothesis that walking's repetitive motion might aid in emotional processing, similar to EMDR therapy.

The main drawback of walking, the time commitment, is acknowledged, with suggestions to combine walking with other activities.

The speaker emphasizes that walking can be done at a low intensity to promote fat burning and a 'Walker's high'.

Tips for walking with better posture, such as walking with palms forward, are shared.

Adding ankle and wrist weights to walking for additional resistance training is suggested.

The benefits of brisk walking for heart rate elevation and stress reduction are discussed.

Tracking tools like Lumen are recommended for a deeper understanding of one's body and metabolic state during walking.

The video concludes with encouragement to embrace walking as a keystone habit that can lead to broader life improvements.

Transcripts

I remember when I was little there was

this man that would walk all around my

town speed walking at every hour of the

day I would go to school and see him and

then I would come back from school and

he would still be walking around the

streets and I thought why is this man

walking where is he walking to and how

does he have so much time to walk and

ladies and gentlemen this past month I

became that man although I'm not nearly

as muscular as he was I feel like I've

unlocked his Secrets the reasons why he

was always walking and that is what

we're going to be talking about today

hey guys it's Robin and welcome to the

science of self-care on this channel we

talk about all things science Healthcare

and wellness and today I want to share

my experience of walking 20 000 steps

for the past 30 days it has been far

more transformative than I thought it

would be I know that sounds funny but I

have been walking 15 000 steps a day

since covid that was already

transformative and I didn't think that

walking an extra 5 000 steps a day would

make that much of a difference but it

honestly has both mentally and

physically so today I want to talk about

what I've noticed during this experience

I also want to share one of the major

cons to walking every day and how I try

to overcome it and then I'll share a

bunch of tips and tricks that I've

learned to help you get the most out of

your walking so if you are someone who

is hoping to increase your daily step

count even just a little bit then this

is definitely the video for you let's

get started

so I just wanted to remind you of a

concept that James Clear talks a lot

about in atomic habits and is the

concept of standardizing before you

optimize a new habit what this

essentially means is if you have a new

goal or a new daily habit you want to

set first make it standard in your

routine make sure you're doing it every

single day before you actually optimize

that habit and tweak it and refine it to

the perfect version of that habit and

when it comes to walking that just means

showing up and stepping outside and not

being too concerned about how many steps

a day you're getting and once you are

used to taking a daily walk and you have

standardized that habit you can start to

optimize it by increasing your step

count start to track your steps in more

detail perhaps get an Apple Watch but it

all starts with planting the seed of

that habit in your everyday or weekly

routine so that it has space to grow so

I just want to remind you if something

seems very unmanageable standardize it

in a little baby step before you

ultimately optimize it and grow it to

its fullest beautiful version of that

habit and if you haven't read Atomic

habits I know I've mentioned it so many

times but I would highly recommend

reading it so I first want to share a

few of the benefits I've noticed from

walking 20 000 steps each day firstly I

have been sleeping so beautifully by the

end of the day after walking 20 000

steps which can range anywhere from 8 to

10 miles depending on how larger steps

are after walking that much every day

your body feels like it's done something

and you feel so ready to lay down and

quickly fall into a deep Slumber so I

think that's something we can Overlook

if we are not moving enough it can

really impact our sleep which then makes

it even harder to move the next day so

it's just something to consider I have

really noticed great improvements in My

Sleep Quality since starting to walk

even more the second thing that I've

noticed is my posture has gotten even

better I feel like my shoulders are more

open and I just stand taller in my body

body because I am walking so much in a

day and in a moment I will share you

some of my favorite ways to amplify the

posture effects of your walks but even

if you're not thinking about it too

consciously our bodies fall into

alignment I remember I went to this back

specialist several years ago because I

was actually having a lot of back

problems my back was a bit crooked and

she gave me a bunch of exercises that

actually just helped loosen up my hips

and loosen up different areas of my body

a lot of times we're not as asymmetrical

as we think it's just that our posture

and kind of daily habits have tweaked Us

in different ways that keep our body

stuck in an asymmetrical way and so if

we can kind of undo that through

movement it's really helpful I've also

noticed that my body is a little bit

more lean and toned I think I've lost a

few pounds of fat but I feel like I've

also gained muscle during this past

month I was also really focused on

increasing my protein intake I'll try

and see if I can get some before and

afters but I don't want to focus too

much on my physique because I think if

you are solely motivated by physical

improvements that's usually not going to

result in the most resilient lifelong

habits whereas the next benefit I want

to talk about really has helped me feel

so connected to walking in a way that I

know I will always walk for the rest of

my life for at least as long as I'm able

to and blessed with beautiful legs that

allow me to walk so the next benefit I'm

referring to is my emotional stability

and resilience I've really noticed that

by spending so much time now every

single day walking my emotions have been

amazing I'm genuinely so positive I feel

so balanced I just feel like I'm in

touch with a true deep happy version of

myself and if I think back to myself as

a kid I was always a kid who loved

running outside moving around moving my

body is how I feel happiest so walking

has really become a form of Mental

Health and a form of meditation for me I

am just less happy when I don't do it

and so that's the reason every single

day I continue to walk because I notice

huge improvements in the way that I feel

and this is actually true for many types

of physical activity I remember reading

the book The Joy of movement I also

highly recommend reading this book but

she talks about how exercise releases so

many endogenous drugs in our body our

muscles are releasing all of these

chemical compounds that make us feel so

good and if we really think of physical

movement as a way to feel amazing versus

a punishment or a way to lose a bunch of

weight we create an entirely different

relationship with physical activity it

becomes less about hitting a certain

number on the scale and more about just

being our best selves feeling so good

and enjoying every single day I've had

such a happy month and I really think a

lot of it had to do with so much walking

I was also talking to a psychiatrist who

practices EMDR which is like light and

sound therapy for trauma and she was

talking about how signaling light and

sound to different sides of the body

which correlates to different sides of

the brain helps kind of unlock emotions

and I was telling her that walking had

such a profoundly positive effect on my

mental health and she kind of

hypothesized that maybe it was something

similar about this left and right back

and forth movement that's kind of

repetitive that helps you process things

and I definitely feel like I can process

things better while I'm walking I've

never done EMDR so I cannot really

compare it but it is an interesting

hypothesis as to why walking might be so

beneficial for our mental health now let

me get to the number one con and the

number one objection that I hear from

everyone is time walking takes a lot of

time and walking 20 000 steps takes

several hours of my everyday from most

people that sounds absolutely absurd to

devote that much of your day to moving

one of my best tips is to combine

walking with other things you have to do

in your day so for me I like to read

every day so I combine walking with

reading through audible I also like to

walk and work and I have created this

kind of makeshift walking treadmill desk

so I have been taking my meetings and

doing my work on this treadmill which

allows me to walk during my working

hours but moreover I think most of us

underestimate how much time we actually

have in a day if you think about it we

have 24 hours in a day and eight of

those let's say we're sleeping say you

work a nine to five job and are sitting

at your desk eight hours throw those

eight hours out as well and then we

still have eight hours in our day which

is more than twice as much time you

would need to walk 20 000 steps I think

I really underestimated how much I was

just sitting around scrolling on social

media and so for the past month I have

spent very little time scrolling I did

watch two movies but during those movies

I actually walked and that's another

thing if you just want to watch a

leisurely show or something why not do

it while walking walking can be very

relaxing and it doesn't always need to

be a high intensity walk you can put a

treadmill super low and calm and you can

be walking while watching a movie and

after a few minutes you probably won't

even realize you're walking you'll get

so in the flow of it and this reminds me

of another thing because it's low

intensity it really promotes beta

oxidation or fat burning in our bodies

so our bodies are able to burn both fat

and carbs while we're walking and after

a while of walking there's a certain

feeling this metabolic State I can't

really describe but it just feels so

smooth it feels so good it's kind of

like a runner is high but a Walker's

high and you hit this point where you

feel like you can walk forever so if

you're watching a movie while walking

you'll likely hit that point during that

period And I always feel like I can just

walk forever but as you can tell I'm

just someone who really enjoys moving my

body but again that's such an identity

thing you know even if you don't

identify as someone who enjoys moving

their body you can start identifying

that way today and make it true for

yourself and then the rest of your life

will kind of align to fit that new

Narrative of who you are now I want to

share a few tips to help you get the

most out of your walking the first one I

actually learned from a fellow YouTuber

Rachel she makes really great videos

also on self-care longevity taking care

of your skin in one of her videos on

walking talked about walking with your

palms forward to improve your posture

and I have been consciously doing this

now for the past month I have to say

this is such a game changer for me by

turning our Palm outward we kind of

force our chest to open up and this has

been so good I feel like I walk around

with so much more confidence now just in

my body language and I know this sounds

so crazy but I don't even care what I

look like because the results speak for

themselves I love it so much so that's

something I would definitely try walking

with your palms forward another thing

I've been doing is carrying around

little ankle and wrist weights of one

pound these are buildable you can put

multiple on your arm you can put them on

your legs but this is a way to give a

little bit more strength and resistance

training while walking so I'll put these

weights around my wrists and then do

kind of pumping motions to just get

those High rep toning exercises in while

I'm walking I feel like this is such a

Suburban mom move but I'm fully

embracing my Suburban mom era another

thing to get the most out of your

walking is to walk briskly if you really

want to turn it into a higher intensity

Zone 2 workout you can try things like

12 3 30 where you walk at a 12 percent

incline at a speed of 3 miles per hour

for 30 minutes and this is like an

upward hike on a treadmill even walking

briskly around your neighborhood just

getting a little bit of your heart rate

up can help you get the most out of your

time that you do spend walking if you

don't really feel like walking briskly

just take a walk around the block in a

very relaxed and leisurely Manner and

that is still so freaking good for you

as I've talked about many times on this

channel the VO2 max of walking is

usually around 40 percent obviously it

will depend on how quickly you're

walking but this is the ideal level to

actually reduce our cortisol and many

exercises like high intensity interval

training actually increase our cortisol

walking is a type of physical activity

that reduces our stress hormone cortisol

which is probably another reason I feel

so good when I do it a lot and my last

tip and tool for the true biohacking

nerds out there is to track your body

tools like Lumen which actually measure

whether you're burning carbs or fat lot

and can tell you the exact percentage of

each are really cool because they help

you understand your body even more

intimately you know a lot of people like

to use activity trackers and Apple watch

whoop whatever your wearable of choice

is it's so cool to see how your

Biometrics change as you increase your

daily step count and it can be very

motivating to see some of those numbers

change like perhaps your resting heart

rate go down after you've been walking

more I think I used to fear that

self-monitoring tools would actually

disconnect me from my own body but in

recent years I've actually used them to

deepen my own connection to and

intuition around my body and this is

because self-monitoring tools can give

us direct feedback about what is going

on in our body and how I've always

conceptualized intuition intuition is

really just our subconscious noticing

patterns and if we can give our

conscious mind and thus also our

subconscious mind and immediate feedback

after doing different activities and we

can say okay this is what the numbers

say this is how I feel this is what I've

done it actually allows us to recognize

patterns even more quickly because we

get direct feedback with actual numbers

that help us assign meaning to our

subjective experience I used to have a

lot of theories about what it felt like

to burn fat versus what it felt like to

burn carbs now I have a tool Lumen that

tells me if I'm burning fat or carbs and

by using Lumen regularly I've actually

been able to build my own intuition of

what these things feel like because I

have that immediate feedback I just

wanted to emphasize that tracking tools

can actually bring us closer to our

bodies they don't have to disconnect us

from our bodies and our own intuition

about our bodies I want to make it very

clear that this video isn't me telling

you you have to walk 20 000 steps but I

would love if this video inspired you to

consider walking more in your life

wherever you are if you're currently

walking 3 000 steps a day it doesn't

matter I think most of us can carve out

20 more minutes in a day to go for that

nice walk around the block or to invite

a friend along for a walk or to listen

to an audiobook on a treadmill and if

you're looking for a little extra

inspiration to make those healthy

choices every day I would highly

recommend reading the book The Slight

Edge it's on Audible so if you want to

read it while walking that is a great

choice but essentially what this book

talks about is how our little daily

habits compound into big life changes

and the habits that are really easy to

do or not to do are actually what build

up into something big it's a little bit

less practical than Atomic habits but

more inspiring personally for me so if

you are wanting to walk more but not

really feeling the inspiration and not

knowing where to start I would recommend

downloading this book on Audible and

going out for a walk while reading it by

the end of the book you will feel

inspired to walk a little bit extra

every day I can pretty much guarantee it

I would love to know if you have any

walking tips what is your current

walking routine like do you have any

goals for the future share with us down

below I love creating a community of

health-minded people here in the

comments and it really is so nice to

know you're not alone on this health

journey I want to emphasize that this

journey isn't just about walking it's

also about embracing small changes and

improvements to our daily routine so

whether you're starting with an extra

walk or adopting another positive habit

remember that the path to transformation

begins with a first step I know that is

so cliche but it is really really true

and that is why walking has become such

a keystone habit for me because by

taking those literal first steps and

increasing my daily step count I have

learned that I can take those first

steps in other areas of my life and my

finances in my personal organization

I've been trying to take those same baby

steps to improve sometimes people can

get really weird about out tracking

things like steps and I want to say one

thing there is a difference between

having a daily goal that you are

disciplined about reaching and having a

goal that you tie your self-worth to and

become emotional if you do not meet it

how I've been trying to think about my

goals recently is that I am an Umpire to

my goals this is a concept I have

borrowed from the book the inner game of

tennis an empire in tennis just calls

the shots they are not emotional if

player a gets the points or if player b

gets the points they are just calling

the shots and a lot of times in our

lives we are either player a or player B

and as player a will get really really

happy if we do something right and we

get a point but we'll also get really

really sad if we lose a point and player

b gets a point and so rather than being

on this emotional roller coaster of

highs and lows I have been trying to be

an Empire so even with when things go

really really well I don't get too

emotional about it I just observe it and

say wow that's interesting that went

well and then have curiosity to

understand why things played out that

way that may seem a little bit negative

to not fully embrace the positive

emotions that come with the wins in life

but it honestly makes it so much easier

to weather the losses in life if you are

not emotional about the outcome so don't

get too down on yourself if you're not

able to get your step goals but just

continue to notice your outcomes and be

curious as to how you can improve your

outcomes okay it's really hot and I have

been sitting here for far too long it's

time for me to go outside and go for a

beautiful walk I hope you'll join me

appreciate you guys very much and I look

forward to seeing you next time