Walking is a simple, free and easy way to get active, lose weight and become healthier - and is recommended by the NHS.
It might not be the first activity that pops into your head when it comes to burning calories, but it depends on how long and how intensely you walk for - as well as what your diet is like. For online content creator Annie, walking 20,000 steps every day has made a massive difference to her physical appearance - and she shared the amazing transformation online.
Taking to TikTok, @fitannie has showed her walking for weight loss journey, and in a recent video she shared a before and after of what she looks like, thanks to walking 20,000 for 30 days. First, Annie showed what her legs looked like 30 days ago, compared to a month later. "I'm so shocked, I don't know about you but I think 30 days is insane for that kind of result," added the content creator.
She continued: "I'm so happy that I took these pictures because I couldn't see it in the mirror." Annie then showed herself wearing a tight pair of jeans a month ago, compared to 30 days later when they fit loosely around her waist. "I lost around 4kg in the last 30 days but I'm also pretty sure that I also gained some muscle from walking that much," she continued.
As well as walking 20,000 steps a day, Annie also made sure to eat 'healthy' throughout the month. She said: "I didn't count calories or anything like that, just tried to eat healthy."
However, Annie did admit walking so many steps a day was "stressful" and would be going back to walking around 10,000 steps a day. She added: "I think this is proof that walking a lot leans out your legs, right? Nonetheless I will go back to aiming for 10-15k steps a day now, since this has also been a bit stressful, not gonna like. I want walking to be fun and not feel like a chore."
Many were impressed with Annie's results, with one person saying: "The gasped that I gasped seeing the jeans before and after!!!" Another added: "The difference is really huge!! Amazing work!! You look incredible, congratulations."
One asked how long it takes Annie to walk 20k steps, to which she replied: "Around 3h in one go, but I just incorporated walking throughout my whole day and split it up."
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of weekly exercise to stay healthy, and says as little as a 10 minute brisk daily walk has "lots of health benefits". They say a brisk walk is "about three miles an hour, which is faster than a stroll".
They also state that you're likely to lose weight is you eat or drink fewer calories than you use - known as a calorie deficits. As a guide, an average man needs 2,500 calories, and an average woman needs 2,000 calories a day, to maintain weight.
Walking 10,000 steps a day is often a goal for many, and research has shown it can help also help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. That being said, you don't need to walk 10,000 steps to see help benefits. A study in JAMA Neurology explored the link between lowering risk of premature death for every 2,000 steps walked in a day.