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How Many Steps A Day To Lose Weight? Here’s The Answer 2024
Updated on
- Written by Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by
Dr G. Michael DiLeo, MD
Physical activity is crucial in achieving your weight loss goals. Walking is a low-end exercise for weight loss that can help you burn more calories and achieve weight loss. However, how many steps per day to lose weight?
That number of steps depends on age, gender, weight, and activity level. Here, we explore the connection between how many steps a day to lose weight and remedying high blood pressure and obesity. By the end of the piece, you will have the answers to the questions: how many steps should I walk a day to lose weight? And, how many steps a day to lose belly fat?
We’ll also provide tips on adding walking into your routine and gradually increasing your step count to achieve weight loss.
How Many Steps A Day To Lose Weight?
You should aim for 10,000 steps daily to lose weight.
- Doing your steps routine depends on various factors such as age, gender, weight, and activity levels.
- Walking helps burn calories.
- Start small and increase gradually.
- Combine activity with a healthy diet.
Why We Should Count Steps?
Counting steps can be a useful tool for increasing physical activity and managing weight. You can better understand your daily energy expenditure and adjust as needed to burn more calories by tracking your steps. Simply, how many calories you burn by walking depends on your steps.
Other reasons that warrant counting your steps are accomplishing your goals and garnering more motivation to improve.
Naturally, the exact number of steps needed varies from person to person and depends on various constraints. A certified personal trainer can help determine precisely how many steps you need for a more individualized step goal and guide you to maximize the benefits of counting steps.
How Many Steps Should You Take For Good Health?
Research shows that walking 10,000 steps for young adults below 40 years and 8000 steps for older people above 60 years is associated with a lower risk of mortality,[1] cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
A certified personal trainer can help you determine the appropriate walking pace and intensity level and may recommend incorporating walking uphill or adding weight to increase the intensity of the exercise.
Here are some body systems that walking may benefit when it comes to good health:
Cardiovascular System
Walking is a great way to improve cardiovascular health. It increases your heart rate, breathing rate, and blood circulation, which can help strengthen your heart and reduce the risk of heart disease. A 2021 Cochrane review of 73 studies showed walking was an affordable prevention[2] for managing high blood pressure.
Respiratory System
Walking improves lung function by increasing oxygen intake and strengthening respiratory muscles. A 2022 analysis of seven studies on the elderly attested that walking helps improve[3] the respiratory system.
Musculoskeletal System
Walking helps the muscles in your legs, glutes, and core, as well as improves joint mobility and flexibility. A 10-week study involving two elderly groups — 31 and 33 participants. Thirty-one participants undertook only walking, while 33 added home-based resistance training. In both cases, muscle quality[4] improved.
Endocrine System
Regular walking helps regulate blood sugar levels, improves insulin sensitivity[5], and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Evidence suggests that moderate exercise like walking may benefit certain hormone levels,[6] such as the stress hormone cortisol.
Nervous System
Walking has numerous mental health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood, and boosting cognitive function. Relating to nature further augments these benefits. A pilot study done in 2015 showed that a simple walk through a forest significantly reduced depression,[7] anger, fatigue, and confusion more than in an urban setting.
Immune System
Walking also helps improve immune function by increasing blood circulation and reducing inflammation. A 2019 study uncovered that regular exercise, such as walking, enhances[8] the immune system, boosts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, and may diversify gut microbiota.
You can easily incorporate walking into daily routines to enjoy numerous health benefits. It can help improve overall health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, and mitigate early death.
How Many Steps To Improve Your Fitness Level?
For fitness, athletes who want to lose weight and get into shape get their steps in two ways: walking outside as they run errands or on a treadmill. When using walking as a workout, the intensity, the number of steps, technique, and typical pace of this daily activity can be incorporated into an exercise regimen.
With fitness, there is no target number because you add the steps walked as you advance. Also, another important thing to note in fitness and walking is that walking targets specific muscles.
This low-impact exercise can work these muscles in your body:
- Glutes: Your glutes, or buttocks, are the main muscles that help you move forward as you walk.
- Quadriceps: Your quadriceps, or front thigh muscles, are also heavily engaged in walking as they work to extend your knee and propel you forward.
- Hamstrings: Your hamstrings, or back thigh muscles, work to flex your knee as your foot swings forward during walking.
- Calves: Your calves, located on the back of your lower legs, work to push off the ground as you take each step.
- Core muscles: Your core muscles, including your abdominals and lower back muscles, help stabilize your body and maintain good posture during walking.
- Arms and shoulders: While not as active as the lower body muscles, your arms, and shoulders are still used while walking, swinging in opposition to your legs for balance and momentum.
A good routine is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, which you can achieve by taking approximately 7,000 to 8,000 steps daily. Gradually increase your step count and intensity level to improve your fitness.
How Do You Calculate Your Daily Steps?
When it comes to determining the steps you need to walk a day to lose weight calculator, it all depends on your set goal. Nevertheless, to calculate exactly how many steps you walk, you can use a pedometer or a fitness tracker.
To get an average step count, add the number of steps taken daily for a week, and divide by seven. Thankfully, most apps and step count apps do this automatically and even do an average to help you determine how many steps a week you are taking to help set your goal to lose weight.
Tips To Increase Your Daily Steps For Weight Loss
Here are some easy and achievable tips to increase your daily steps for weight loss:
- Set a daily goal for how many steps you want, such as 10,000 steps a day or more.
- Make walking a part of your daily routine, such as taking a daily walk before or after meals.
- Use a pedometer or fitness tracker to track your steps and monitor your progress.
- Take short walks during breaks at work or during lunch.
- Park farther away from your destination to increase walking distance.
- Walk with friends, kids, or older family members to make it more enjoyable and to stay motivated.
- Incorporate more activities, such as household chores or gardening, into your daily routine.
- To prevent injury, gradually walk more steps to improve fitness, but aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity daily exercise, such as brisk walking.
- The key is to be active and move more throughout the day, even taking multiple shorter walks instead of one long walk.
- Eating healthy nutrients in a balanced diet is also important for weight loss and overall health.
- Remember to make walking and physical activity a lifestyle habit, not just a temporary fix.
- Consistency and determination are crucial in achieving your daily step and weight loss goals.
The Bottom Line
Walking is an excellent form of exercise that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. It not only aids in weight loss and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure but it also has been shown to improve mental health and reduce stress levels. And it’s free!
Specific answers to queries such as how many steps a day to lose 3 pounds a week or how many steps in a day to lose weight for specific goals can be answered by a certified personal trainer.
Now that you have the answer to the question of how many steps should you walk a day to lose weight, gradually incorporating more activity into your daily routine could help you achieve your daily step and weight loss goals without feeling overwhelmed. If you can, incorporate some green time — forest or park walking — for extra benefits to brain health. Also, always eat a healthy and balanced diet for weight loss and overall health.
So put on your walking shoes, take the first step, and enjoy the numerous benefits of increasing your daily steps.
+ 8 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- del Pozo Cruz, B., Ahmadi, M.N., Lee, I-Min. and Stamatakis, E. (2022). Prospective Associations of Daily Step Counts and Intensity With Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality and All-Cause Mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine, [online] 182(11), p.1139. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4000.
- Lee, L.L., Mulvaney, C.A., Wong, Y.K.Y., Chan, E.S., Watson, M.C. and Lin, H.H. (2021). Walking for hypertension. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, [online] 2021(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd008823.pub2.
- Novotová, K., Pavlů, D., Dvořáčková, D., Arnal-Gómez, A. and Espí-López, G.V. (2022). Influence of Walking as Physiological Training to Improve Respiratory Parameters in the Elderly Population. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 19(13), p.7995. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137995.
- Yoshiko, A., Tomita, A., Ando, R., Ogawa, M., Kondo, S., Saito, A., Tanaka, N.I., Koike, T., Oshida, Y. and Akima, H. (2018). Effects of 10-week walking and walking with home-based resistance training on muscle quality, muscle size, and physical functional tests in healthy older individuals. European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, [online] 15(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-018-0201-2.
- Hong, H.-R., Jeong, J.-O., Kong, J.-Y., Lee, S.-H., Yang, S.-H., Ha, C.-D. and Kang, H.-S. (2014). Effect of walking exercise on abdominal fat, insulin resistance and serum cytokines in obese women. Journal of Exercise Nutrition and Biochemistry, [online] 18(3), pp.277–285. doi:https://doi.org/10.5717/jenb.2014.18.3.277.
- de Souza, H.S., Jardim, T.V., Barroso, W.K.S., de Oliveira Vitorino, P.V., Souza, A.L.L. and Jardim, P.C.V. (2019). Hormonal assessment of participants in a long distance walk. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, [online] 11(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-019-0414-1.
- Song, C., Ikei, H., Kobayashi, M., Miura, T., Taue, M., Kagawa, T., Li, Q., Kumeda, S., Imai, M. and Miyazaki, Y. (2015). Effect of Forest Walking on Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Middle-Aged Hypertensive Individuals: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 12(3), pp.2687–2699. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120302687.
- Nieman, D.C. and Wentz, L.M. (2019). The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of Sport and Health Science, [online] 8(3), pp.201–217. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009.
Written by:
Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
