Low-impact cardio can be a simple but highly effective tool for losing weight and building stamina, as YouTuber Will Tennyson found when he challenged himself to hit 25,000 steps every day for a week. In just 7 days, he dropped body fat and showed noticeable definition.
25,000 steps is equal to approximately 19 km, or just under 12 miles; Will points out that walking 1 mile can burn 100 calories. In order to maximise his step count, he starts the week-long challenge by finding excuses to walk longer and further, such as parking as far from the grocery store as possible, or walking to a coffee shop rather than simply making a cup at home.
By day 2 he is already starting to feel strain in his legs, particularly in his ankles, as he’s walking much more than he’s accustomed to. However, by the morning of day 3 he is already starting to notice changes to his body. “I can see definition in my stomach that I’ve never had, I see veins in my arms that I’ve never seen before,” he says.
On day 4, all of his aforementioned leg pain is gone, and he’s also feeling very well-rested. He speculates that he’s been sleeping better at night because of his increased levels of physical activity during the day. Additionally, his hunger has not increased, as this much walking doesn’t require extra calories, unlike if he were running every day. He also finds that walking so much each day has been helpful in relieving stress.
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“I actually can’t stop walking, you can’t keep me still,” he says. “I have so much energy, I don’t know why.” He still pushes through with all of his regular workouts, stating that he still has the energy to do it despite feeling tiredness in his legs.
At the end of the week, Will has gone from 83 to 81kg, a total loss of 2kg He’s surprised by how much of a change has taken place in so little time: his torso is more toned than it was at the start of the challenge, with visible definition in his obliques.
“Walking is such a powerful weight loss tool and it’s extremely underrated,” he says. “Just because you don’t have access to a gym, or you just don’t want to go to a gym, doesn’t mean you can’t hit your weight loss goals.”
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health