What does “nakhazhivat'” mean in Russian?

Russian builds rich verb meanings by stacking prefixes and endings. Нахаживать (nakhazhivat') comes from ходить (“to walk”) plus the prefix на- (which here marks accumulation, “build up”) and a frequentative ending. The result is a single verb meaning “to rack up walking time, to build up steps slowly.” Russian fitness influencers use it for the daily 10,000- or 20,000-step target: нахаживать 15 тысяч шагов (“rack up 15,000 steps”). English needs a phrase (“clock,” “rack up,” “log”) where Russian uses one verb.

In this clip, a Russian trainer tells viewers that gym workouts alone won’t drop weight; the key is to pair training with steady daily walking: “возьми за привычку нахаживать 15-20 тысяч шагов” (“get into the habit of racking up 15-20 thousand steps”).