This 28-Year-Old YouTuber Walked 17 Miles A Day For A Week And Here’s What Happened

Walking is the most accessible and beneficial form of exercise, or so everyone claims. What happens when you take it to an extreme? British YouTuber Jack Massey Welsh wanted to know. So he set himself the task of walking 35,000 steps a day—that is, 17 miles—over the course of a week. The results were a fascinating mix of physical transformation, unexpected challenges, and valuable lessons about the human body's limits.

For Welsh, this was an ambitious challenge not only physically but mentally. Before he started, he weighed himself, took measurements, and prepared by adding 150 grams of protein to his diet to preserve muscle mass. To safeguard his joints, he began taking glucosamine supplements.

His plan was simple, break the daily goal into two two-hour walks, which would amount to 35,000 steps per day. The first day seemed manageable, but the effects of this extreme activity quickly set in.

Day-by-Day Breakdown: From Muscle Burn to Joint Pain

Days 1–2: A Painful Start

The first day brought a mix of excitement and fatigue. Welsh remarked on the simplicity of “one step in front of the other.” However, by Day 2, he began to feel the physical toll. Aching muscles and sheer exhaustion made every step increasingly difficult.

Days 3–4: Adapting Muscles, New Challenges

By the third day, Welsh could see his muscles were adapting to the demand. However, joint pain had emerged as a new obstacle, accompanied by painful blisters on his feet. Walking became a test of endurance, with each step a reminder of his body's limits.

Days 5–7: The Final Stretch and Aftermath

As the week went by, the pressure was on. Sore ankles and black toenails, which indicate extreme foot injury, made it hard for Welsh to walk without taking pain medication. He was still able to complete the challenge with a feeling of great achievement.

What's Changed After 250,000 Steps?

At the end of the week, Welsh retook his measurements and was shocked at the changes. He had lost 2 pounds and noted that his body measurements were smaller all around, except for his thighs, which grew half a centimeter. This showed that walking is a great change agent even after a week.

However, the damage was done by the physical process. Days since the completion of the challenge found Welsh's ankles swollen, bringing home the potentially dire consequences to extreme exercise in the human form.

Welsh's adventure shows the risks and rewards of walking. Being on the extreme end is fun, but never overdo anything beyond what your body can stand. As for Welsh, more reasonable steps most people can reasonably achieve would range between 8,000 to 20,000 depending on their fitness.

The average steps that people walk is merely between 3,000 and 4,000 per day, a range of activity level described as sedentary. Although the 10,000 steps per day has become a highly popular goal without scientific basis, research shows more realistic and personalized targets depending on age. A review by Lancet showed that walking around 7,000 steps per day can increase life expectancy significantly for older adults. Younger adults benefit from walking only up to around 9,000 steps per day, indicating that exceeding this number does not offer any further benefits. These results highlight how the necessity is to set specific, reachable goals, rather than focusing on achieving some number.

It must not be about reaching a specific number, but about making movement a constant part of your day.

Why Walking is Considered Healthy?

Walking is not a cardio exercise only, but also maintains the muscles and health of the joints. More importantly, it helps the mind. A study at JAMA Internal Medicine reported walking as briskly as possible for 10 minutes each day will decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke but in addition add years to life.

From lessening the symptoms of anxiety and depression to increasing energy and concentration, walking is an all-rounded exercise with low risks and high rewards.

How to Increase Your Daily Step Count Easily

Adding more steps into your daily life does not have to be a big life change. Here's how:

• Take the stairs whenever possible.
• Park on the far end of parking lots.
• Hold meetings while walking
• Track your progress to motivate and set achievable targets
• Take regular 10 minute breaks at work to stretch and walk
• Tread around on the phone as well
• Go for a long walk after dinner to relax.

Jack Massey Welsh’s journey is a compelling reminder of walking’s transformative potential—and its risks when taken to extremes. While 35,000 steps daily is not practical for most people, setting moderate goals can yield significant health benefits.

Estimated Number of Deaths Prevented Through Increased Physical Activity Among US Adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2022

Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health. 2022