Could You Achieve 10,000 Steps a Day Even if You’re Busy? We Tried to Prove that Ourselves

By JUICE Malaysia  •  01 Aug 2019 in Listicle

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We all know that walking 10,000 steps a day can help you stay healthy. But how many of us actually take the time to do it every day?

Whether you’re working, studying, or a stay-at-home parent, life is busy! When it comes to daily exercise, most of us probably feel we just don’t have time.

That’s why when Skechers challenged us to walk 10,000 steps a day for ONE WHOLE WEEK, we were like :O

That’s a lot of steps, you guys!

To help us meet our challenge, we were given the new Skechers Gowalk 5 shoes. Made with flexible soft knit mesh fabric, the Skechers Gowalk 5 is lightweight and breathable. It also has an Air Cooled Goga Mat insole system, making the cushioning super comfy. 

Basically, the Skechers Gowalk 5 is meant to keep your feet comfortable all day long, no matter how far you walk. And that’s what we were gonna find out.

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So is it possible to walk 10,000 steps a day for a week even when you’re busy all the time? Here’s what happened when we tried:

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1. We learned the hard way that you don’t have to put in strenuous effort, you just have to set aside time

DAY 1 | Jeremy | Total steps: 10,430

“It was the first day, so I was full of energy and challenged myself to climb up 19 flights of stairs to my office. As I sprinted up, I noticed how light and flexible the Skechers shoes were. My muscles… not so much.

I was panting and aching by the time I reached the 10th floor, and that was only the halfway point. The best part was that all the climbing only added up to 500 steps -_-“

2. Just get up and move!

DAY 1 | Laila | Total steps: 10,812

“I spent the morning doing all my errands by foot. Bank, bookstore, post office, supermarket. Turns out hitting 10,000 steps can be surprisingly easy! 

The Skechers Gowalk 5 shoes were fantastic, felt like my feet were being cuddled by clouds. The only pain I felt was the slight burn in my legs, and I liked it!”

3. Getting your steps early in the morning is the best way to feel energised for the rest of the day

DAY 2 | Jeremy | Total steps: 10,169

“Spent an hour in the morning walking around the park beside my apartment. Then, I headed over to the nearby wet market to get some groceries. All that walking helped me hit 5,000 steps before 9am. Getting up to 10,000 steps at work was a breeze.”

4. Shopping with your bestie is probably not the best exercise ’cause you spend more time gossiping than walking >.<

DAY 2 | Laila | Total steps: 9,380

“My first fail day 🙁 I thought it would be super easy to hit the target just by shopping with my bestie. But we spent more time looking through clothing racks, trying on cute outfits, and gossiping, than actually walking haha.”

5. You don’t just have to walk… get creative!

DAY 3 | Jeremy | Total steps: 10,645

“Today, I had my first drum lesson with a 10-year-old boy. I had to carry his brand new electronic set to the car, and set it up for him at his home.

Apparently, playing the drums also helps you get a lot of steps because the instrument requires you to move all four limbs. What was nice was that the Skechers shoes felt comfy and gave a good grip on the drum pedals.”

6. Walking to work is totally possible… if your colleagues don’t mind you walking into the office drenched in sweat lol

DAY 4 | Laila | Total steps: 12,117

“I WALKED TO WORK! It took 40 minutes and I had to use two pedestrian bridges to walk across two highways, but I did it! You can see the sweat dripping off my face lol. (I’m pointing to my office building, so close and yet so far.)

It’s so normal for Malaysians to drive everywhere that it was cool to know I can actually do this!”

7. And if you’re just too tired… make your kids cheat for you 😛

DAY 5 | Laila | Total steps: 10,322 (Actual steps: 5,200+) 

“Work was crazy on day 5. It was deadline after deadline and meeting after meeting. It was Friday and I was exhausted from all the walking that week, plus lack of sleep because of the baby. 

I got home late, had to look after the kids, and only had 5,200 steps. I must have looked really defeated because my sons then took turns wearing my smartband and walking around the house to get me my 10,000 steps. Their steps don’t count but I love them 10,000 (crying Ironman emoji).

The lesson here is to not be demotivated if you can’t hit your steps for the day. Just try again tomorrow!”

8. A great pair of shoes can really make ALL. THE. DIFFERENCE.

DAY 6 | Jeremy | Total steps: 10,171

“To hit 10,000 steps, you just need to put in the time to walk. You don’t need intense exercise, but consistently walk for a little less than 2 hours.

With the Skechers shoes, I could really feel the difference when walking long distances. Normal shoes would have given me blisters or started to feel uncomfortable, but the Skechers shoes fit so nicely, like it was part of my feet.”

9. It’s totally possible to get your steps even when you’re a busy working parent

DAY 7 | Laila | Total steps: 13,246

“I’m guilty of using my kids as an excuse to not look after myself better. With this challenge I was given the push to succeed despite working full-time and looking after four munchkins. 

The kids were SO EXCITED to be involved and happily walked around parks, playgrounds, and shopping malls with me. (My favourite thing about the Skechers Gowalk 5 shoes is that they are slip-ons. Extra convenient for mamas carrying chonky babies).”

Check out how we did by the end of the challenge week:

There was such a sense of accomplishment on the days we hit our 10,000 steps and beyond. By the end of the week, we were feeling so good about ourselves that we were talking about continuing our routine of hitting daily step counts.

Ultimately, our one-week experiment showed that anyone can hit 10,000 steps a day, if you’re willing to put in the effort and time. A good pair of shoes like the Skechers Gowalk 5 also go a long way to help you achieve your target!

Excited to try hitting 10,000 steps a day? Check out the Skechers Gowalk 5 shoes for optimum results! (LINK TO LANDING PAGE)

This story was originally published on SAYS.