A few years ago, a friend of mine organized a 30-day walking challenge through the Nike run app. This joint friendly competition immediately sparked my 39 year old washed athlete self and I was all in.
I’m a stats guy, and once signed up, I was checking my place on the app all the time. There were around 100 people signed up, and once I saw my name crack the top 20, it was on.
Prior to this competition I walked once a day, maybe 3-4 times a week. Now fully locked in, I was walking three times a day, everyday of the week. I’d wake up early to squeeze in a quick walk before work, take a solid hour-long stroll during lunch, and then sneak in a 20-minute evening walk to rack up even more steps.
About three weeks in, I noticed my clothes fitting a little differently, so I hopped on a scale. I was 6 pounds lighter than usual. Now, I’ve never been someone actively trying to lose weight—I’ve typically been on the opposite side, aiming to put on a few pounds. So, this weight loss caught me off guard, especially since my eating habits didn’t seem like they’d changed. This wasn’t a result I expected from just walking more.
Maybe it wasn’t just the walking. Perhaps the extra time on my feet meant less time sitting around snacking. So unknowingly I was also improving my nutrition. That’s definitely a possibility.
Regardless of the cause, the result was positive. More daily activity and some dropped body fat is almost always a plus. The only downside? I didn’t finish in the top 20 😔.
So let this serve as a reminder: don’t underestimate the power of adding a few extra steps to your day.
