Why 10,000 Steps a Day Might Be Making Your Back Pain Worse

If you’re trying to be healthier as a mom, you’re probably doing your darndest to close the rings on your smart watch and hit that 10k/day step goal

It feels productive. Disciplined. Like you’re doing something right.

But here’s the truth:

👉🏼 10,000 steps doesn’t fix your core👉🏼 And for a lot of moms… it’s actually making their back pain worse

First: Where Did 10,000 Steps Even Come From?

Not research. Not medicine. Not physiology.

👉🏼 Marketing.

The 10,000 step goal came from a 1960s Japanese pedometer campaign (manpo-kei = “10,000 step meter”).

It was catchy, clean, and easy to sell.

And it stuck.

But now we actually have data 👇🏼

• Most health benefits happen around 6,000–8,000 steps/day

• Going above that shows diminishing returns

• More steps ≠ better results (especially for strength, fat loss, core function or pain)

  
  

So if you’re grinding to hit 10k every day…

👉🏼 You’re chasing a number that was never designed to fix your body in the first place as an overstimulated busy af mom

Why Walking More Isn’t Fixing Your Back Pain

Let’s be clear girlie, walking is not bad.

But walking is also not core training.

Like literally it’s just not the same thing 😜

And whether you’re 6 weeks, 6 month or 6 years postpartum (or more!), your core is often: ❌ Weak❌ Feeling disconnected❌ Compensating - if your core is weak and disconnected, your body says: “well I guess the lower back can just pick up the slack” 

So when you increase your steps…

👉🏼 You’re not fixing the issue👉🏼 You’re repeating the issue

Over and over and over again. 10,000 times per day. 

This Is Why Your Back Still Hurts

Your core’s job is to:

• Stabilize your spine

• Manage pressure

• AND most importantly, do both of the above during movement + under load (carrying kids, groceries, laundry baskets, etc)

When that system isn’t working properly (which is VERY common after making people with your body!)…

Your body will find another way to execute the task. Kind of like if your toddler refused to walk anywhere, so you just carried him. At first, it would get the job done, but eventually your back would hurt, you’d be slouching and super uncomfortable.

Now layer on 8,000–12,000 steps per day 👇🏼

👉🏼 You’re reinforcing that dysfunctional pattern thousands of times

Hence, why your back still hurts 🤬

“But I Thought Walking Was Good for Me?”

It is.

But only if your foundation is solid.

If not, it’s like:

👉🏼 Putting more mileage on a misaligned car

The problem isn’t the movement.

👉🏼 It’s the system doing the movement.

This Is the Part Most Moms Are Missing

You don’t have a “motivation” problem.

You don’t need to “move more.”

👉🏼 You have a core function problem that’s not only making your workouts harder it’s making your day to day harder

I broke this down deeper here 👉🏼“How I Know Your Back Pain Is a Core Problem” (that post connects ALL the dots for you)

What the Research Actually Supports

Instead of obsessing over step count, the data supports:

✔️ Moderate daily movement (not extreme volume - 6-8k steps per day is plenty)✔️ Strength training✔️ Muscle function > calorie burn

And for moms specifically?

👉🏼 Core strength is the foundation of everything

Because your life isn’t just walking.

It’s:

• Carrying kids

• Twisting, reaching, bending

• Functioning on limited sleep

• Living in constant, low-level physical demand

Walking alone doesn’t prepare your body for that.

The Shift: Train Smarter, Not Just More

The goal isn’t:

❌ More steps❌ Longer workouts❌ Burning more calories

👉🏼 It’s building a body that actually supports you

Inside my method (Restore → Bridge → Comeback), we focus on:

1. Restore: Rebuild deep core function + pressure control

2. Bridge: Teach your body how to use that core in movement

3. Comeback: Strength train in a way that fits your real life

   
   

Because when your core works👉🏼 EVERYTHING gets easier

What To Do Next (This Matters 👇🏼)

If this all sounds FAR TOO FAMILIAR… start here:

1. Grab My Free Core Guide 🤍

This is your step-by-step starting point to rebuild your core, eliminate pain and feel like YOU again!

👉🏼 Download it here for literally ZERO DOLLARS!!

2. Want Coaching + Accountability? Join The Strong Moms Club 💪🏼

If you’re tired of guessing and want:

✔️ A custom plan

✔️ Real coaching

✔️ Ongoing support (not just a PDF that rots in your inbox)

✔️ Short, effective workouts that actually work

👉🏼 Apply for The Strong Moms Club

This is where we take everything you just read and actually implement it in your life.

3. Read This Next 👇🏼

If your brain is still connecting the dots, go here next:

👉🏼 “How I Know Your Back Pain Is a Core Problem”

This will make everything click.

Bottom Line

10,000 steps isn’t the solution.

And for a lot of moms👉🏼 It’s keeping you stuck and furthering the dysfunction

You don’t need more movement👉🏼 you need to train your body to  handle the movement you’re already doing 👏🏼.