How to Walk 10,000 Steps without Risking Overuse Injuries

It may not sound like “exercise,” but walking has a ton of health benefits. With regular walking, you can:

• Lower your risks of chronic disease conditions, including heart diseases, hypertension, type II diabetes, stroke, and more

• Maintain bone health

• Sleep better

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Reduce stress and support mental health

• Increase energy levels and endurance

• Strengthen your immune system

A lower-impact, gentler activity than running, walking is easier on people with prior injuries, and carries lower risks of injuries.

Aside from health benefits, many urban walkers and nature walkers love the slower pace and meditative repetition that allow them to notice the environment around them, connect with friends, and be in the moment.

However, especially if you're starting from a fairly sedentary place, walking thousands of steps a day can increase your risk of overuse injuries like Plantar Fasciitis. (The risk is much lower than running, though!) If you have a history of these injuries, relapses may be on your mind, too.

Whatever your motivation, if you want to walk more, we have some science-based tips to do it right. Let’s dig in.

A 2019 study looked at the step counts of over 16,000 older women and found that even a small increase in how much you walk brought significant health benefits. In the study, going from less than 3,000 steps a day to 4,400 steps a day reduced mortality rates by a whopping 41%. The study also found that the mortality benefits started to level off at around 7,500 steps/day, at least in the study population of women over 70.

Consistent with the findings of the 2019 study, a 2023 study found that 8,000 steps per day is enough to reduce all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risks. And the benefits kicked in, even when participants only managed to hit the step count goal once or twice a week.

So, the two takeaways are:

• 10,000 steps isn’t a magic number. Start where you are, and aim for just a bit more.

• You also don’t need to do it every day to get the physical and mental health benefits. Do it when you can.

If you haven’t been a walker, this repetitive stress from extra walking can exceed your current capacity, leading to soft tissue injuries. For example, in the case of Plantar Fasciitis, the repetitive stress that goes through the ligament at the bottom of your foot (called the plantar fascia) causes tiny tears in this tissue, causing pain in your arch and heel.

That said, it’s relatively simple to walk 10,000 steps without risking these overuse injuries! Here are our tips, with roots in how physical therapists treat these overuse injuries:

With all the responsibilities of life, it can be a logistical challenge to hit that 10,000-step goal every day. Here are some tips to walk more:

• Look for safe walking paths , both in urban areas and in parks or nature preserves. Play with layers in Google and Apple Maps and see what route options exist. Or, if it works better, you can always walk at the gym.

• If you live in an area where you mostly have to drive, park further away from the entrance at the office, at the store, or at the gym.

• Make it rewarding . Walk with family or friends, if that’s your jam. You can even join a walking group in your area. Enjoy the solitude if you’d rather have some alone time. Notice what’s around you and soak it in - a new coffee shop, first autumn colors on trees, bird songs changing in spring, someone walking a giant fluff ball of a dog.

Alleviate was founded by a patient-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our all-in-one Systems for Plantar Fasciitis, PTTD, and Runner's Knee, you can easily follow the Alleviate Method to treat your pain, without the hassle of traditional physical therapy.