Walking as a daily practice (Pașca's personal habit)
When asked how he maintains his fitness and energy, Pașca mentioned he walks a lot, often over 12,000–15,000 steps per day. He walks to and from work, and especially when traveling, exploring museums. He said art is his only other pursuit besides science.
Pașca's walking habit emerged from necessity during medical school in Romania, where he had no time for traditional exercise due to combining clinical work and research. He walked between experiments and often walked at night discussing science with students. At Stanford, he continues the habit, walking between buildings and at night. He credits this with sustaining his high energy and creativity over decades. He did not frame this as a universal health recommendation but as his personal sustainable practice.
I walk all the time, I like to walk, especially when I travel... I walk a lot in museums. I think you could probably trace where I've done most of the walking, and it's probably done in museums, or in California, walking at night, and discussing science with students or others.
I do more than 12,000-15,000, for sure. Yeah, and I walk all the time, I like to walk.