A dedicated fitness enthusiast, Sam Culley, has put his endurance to the test in an effort to determine which physical challenge is more demanding: walking 50,000 steps, covering 50 kilometers, or burning 5,000 calories in a single day. Starting at 6:00 am from his home in the United Kingdom, Culley set out to achieve at least two of these fitness goals.
Culley’s motivation was a mix of personal enjoyment, pushing his own limits, and genuine curiosity about which challenge would prove to be the hardest. Armed with only a head torch and a supply of nutritious snacks, he embarked on the endurance experiment. Unfortunately, he forgot his earphones, which made the long trek feel even more challenging, as he was left to focus solely on each step.
As he approached the 15-kilometer mark, the physical strain began to manifest, but he managed to push through. By the time he hit the halfway point, Culley had completed 25 kilometers and was still in relatively good shape. However, he noted that his calorie burn was lagging behind his distance traveled.
At the 30-kilometer mark, he took a break to refuel with protein bars and crisps, also changing his socks to keep his feet comfortable. The intensity of the challenge heightened around the 35-kilometer point when a sudden downpour added to the difficulty. Despite these challenges, Culley celebrated a significant milestone when he completed 50,000 steps at approximately the 41-kilometer mark after nearly nine hours of walking.
As the day progressed, Culley’s father joined him to accompany him for the final stretch. Together, they achieved a total distance of 50 kilometers in 10 hours and 9 minutes, with Culley recording a total of 61,685 steps throughout the day. By the end of the experiment, he had burned a total of 4,746 calories, of which just over 3,000 were classified as active calories.
Culley’s findings revealed that achieving 50,000 steps was the most accessible of the three goals. This conclusion aligns logically with the nature of step counts, as steps measure the frequency of movement rather than direct distance. For many individuals, 50,000 steps equate to approximately 35–40 kilometers, depending on stride length, which is still a considerable distance but typically less than 50 kilometers.
Walking 50 kilometers is a fixed distance that usually requires closer to 65,000–70,000 steps for most people. To achieve the calorie-burning goal of 5,000 calories, one would need to undertake an even longer journey, sometimes exceeding 80,000 steps.
Culley’s experiment serves as a testament to the varying challenges of physical fitness, shedding light on how different metrics can influence perceived difficulty. His journey not only tested his endurance but also provided valuable insights into the nature of fitness goals.
