Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has shared his ‘big rule’ – and it could work for many
Martin Lewis says if he’s talking, he’s walking(Image: Martin Lewis/X)
Martin Lewis is renowned for his money-saving advice, having founded Money Saving Expert (MSE). But, beyond finances, he has one particular “obsession” alongside a “big rule”.
The MSE creator shared on his blog that throughout 2025, he clocked up a “total of 9,532,571 steps” marking his “highest ever.” That works out at approximately 26,000 steps daily.
Discussing his passion for all things steps, he describes reaching these numbers as “an obsession, but a deliberate one.” He further noted his step goals “are all built on self-imposed rules” and revealed his “big rule” is “if I’m talking, I’m walking.”
Martin Lewis shared his “big rule”(Image: ITV)
The expert explained: “If I have a phone call to make or a meeting that doesn’t need a video call, then I do it while walking. Often, this is outdoors – I try to get all my calls arranged in a row so I can have a long walk.
“It’s now instinctive that if the phone rings and I’m sitting down, I jump up before I answer it. Even if it’s a friend in the evening, I get up from my seat and start walking around the room.”
Having only missed one day “due to severe food poisoning”, Lewis said he wants to stick to it as much as possible as the “health benefits over the last few years have been so positive.”
Is walking a good way to lose weight?
Yes. Walking alone is very beneficial, whether on a machine or outside. According to the NHS: “Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier.”
The NHS suggests ways to incorporate walking into your daily routine.
Examples include:
walking part of your journey to workwalking to the shopsusing the stairs instead of the liftleaving the car behind for short journeyswalking the kids to schooldoing a regular walk with a friendgoing for a stroll with family or friends after dinner
It further adds that people who do regular physical activity have a lower risk of:
Speaking about his own “health impact”, Lewis revealed he does “cardio seven days a week, usually first thing in the morning and normally for about 40 minutes.”
He notes: “The big advantage of the elliptical is I can read the papers, my emails and key documents, so little work time is lost – which means I’m normally on 6,000 steps or more before I do owt else. Yet that’s still less than a quarter of my total days steps.”
He further shared he’s “substantially lighter than when I started stepping” and “some of my repetitive strain injury and back pain has gone (I’d never put this together until I mentioned it to a physio, and he asked if I now walked more, as apparently it’s a great help for backs).”
He concluded: “I tend to think of running as for fitness and my mental health, while walking is for physical health and relaxation – for the few minutes I’m off the phone when walking, a little bit of me-time or listening to an audiobook in a day is useful. Sadly, it isn’t a cure-all for stress and anxiety, but it helps reduce some of the impact.”