The Japanese Walking Hack That Replaces 10,000 Steps a Day (Video)

In this 4 June 2025 video, host Dave Asprey talks with Mark Sission.

Most people think 10,000 steps a day is the gold standard for health, but it’s outdated, inefficient and often damaging. In this episode, you’ll discover a smarter, faster way to walk for longevity, fat burning and total body resilience. 

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Mark Sisson, bestselling author, primal health pioneer and founder of Primal Kitchen. With over 40 years at the forefront of fitness and ancestral health, Mark has helped millions rethink everything they thought they knew about cardio, metabolism, movement, and the dangers of chronic cardio. He was one of the first to challenge the anti-cardio movement, helped popularize ketosis and fat-adapted performance, and now returns with a new message: walking is better than running, and doing it right is one of the most powerful biohacks for human performance and aging. 

They dive into the Japanese walking interval method that outperforms 10,000 steps, and explore the critical link between foot health longevity, barefoot shoes benefits, and the brain-body connection. Mark also shares how minimalist movement improves foot strength for performance, why he trains just 20 minutes a week, why too much saturated fat might backfire, and how the grass-fed vs grain-fed beef debate plays into real wellness. You’ll learn how to build muscle and endurance with less effort, how to reverse dysfunction through biohacking foot function, and how to live by primal health principles with strength, intuition, and freedom. 

This episode hits hard on biohacking, minimalist footwear health, self-awareness, longevity, and the real science of walking smarter, not longer. It’s also packed with insights on nootropics, sleep optimization, athletic performance, and how to eat intuitively without perfectionism. 

If you’re serious about Smarter Not Harder strategies, tuning into your body, and reclaiming your natural performance potential, don’t miss this one. 

You’ll learn: 
• Why zone 1 walking beats zone 2 training for longevity 
• How foot dysfunction leads to systemic breakdown 
• The hidden brain-glute-big toe connection no one talks about 
• Why Mark no longer runs or eats ribeyes 
• The minimum effective dose for strength, mobility, and fat burn 
• Why perfectionism in wellness is toxic and what to do instead 

https://youtu.be/90tlaYua-HU

Timestamps: 
• 00:00 – Trailer 
• 00:43 – Intro 
• 01:13 – Mark’s entrepreneurial journey 
• 04:53 – The rise of health blogging 
• 05:40 – Why cardio might be hurting you 
• 17:53 – Foot health and performance 
• 20:54 – Barefoot and minimalist footwear 
• 33:30 – Launching PVA Shoes 
• 42:59 – Diet’s role in foot recovery 
• 43:38 – Why comfort matters in footwear 
• 44:12 – Personal footwear hacks 
• 45:03 – Building a footwear brand 
• 46:21 – Fashion vs function in foot health 
• 49:17 – Simple foot strengthening tools 
• 52:35 – What history reveals about shoes 
• 58:47 – Walking and brain optimization 
• 01:06:41 – Protein, aging, and nutrition 
• 01:19:50 – Longevity and biohacking wins