For decades, the 10,000-step target has dominated fitness trackers, wellness articles, and daily walking challenges. Hitting that number has become a modern benchmark for completing your daily exercise.
Now, fitness coach Zarina Manaenkova is challenging that routine. In a viral post, she suggested that performing periodic squats could provide similar—or even greater—health benefits than walking 10,000 steps. Her recommendation: do ten squats every 45 minutes instead of relying solely on long walks or step counts. According to Manaenkova, active muscle contraction triggers biochemical signals that support metabolism, brain function, and fat burning—benefits that walking alone may not produce as strongly.
The Health Benefits of Walking
Walking remains a popular, low-impact exercise praised for cardiovascular health, improved circulation, stress relief, and gentle calorie burning. Research shows that even fewer than 10,000 steps can be beneficial. For example, just 4,000 steps a few times a week can reduce mortality and cardiovascular risk among older adults.
However, walking mainly engages the lower-body muscles lightly and may not provide the full benefits of more dynamic, load-bearing exercises.
Why Squats Stand Out
Squats activate major lower-body muscles, including the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, as well as the core and stabilizing muscles around the hips and ankles. According to research cited by Manaenkova, squats strengthen these muscles, reinforce ligaments and tendons, improve posture, and enhance balance and mobility.
The International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health notes that performing a full squat requires the hip, knee, and ankle joints to move through their full range of motion. This stretches and strengthens key muscles such as the glutes, hip flexors, adductors, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
Regular squatting also improves ankle mobility, which is essential for balance and proper alignment. It enhances flexibility in the Achilles tendon, soleus, and gastrocnemius muscles, reducing stiffness and injury risk.
Beyond muscle and joint benefits, squats strengthen ligaments and tendons, promote joint stability, and improve proprioception, helping prevent acute and degenerative injuries. Functional fitness also improves, as squats mimic daily movements like bending, lifting, and sitting, enhancing strength, coordination, and overall long-term health.
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