Experts Reveal How Many Daily Steps You Need to Lose Weight

Knowing how many steps you've taken in a day, whether with a wearable fitness tracker or on your phone, can be an immensely beneficial tool for weight loss. Many of us spend the majority of our days sitting, which can have a bad influence on our bodies and minds. Walking and recording your steps every day, on the other hand, can help you avoid health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stiff joints. Walking on a regular basis may possibly aid weight loss. But how far do you have to walk to gain the benefits of being out and about?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity per week to avoid a sedentary, inactive lifestyle. To put it another way, you should be active for 30 minutes five days a week. The CDC suggests tripling that target and getting in up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 150 minutes of high-intensity physical activity per week for added health benefits.

How Many Steps Should You Take Every Day to Lose Weight?

To help us break down the CDC's recommendations into steps, POPSUGAR chatted with Laura Arndt, an NSCA-certified personal trainer and the CEO of Matriarc, a fitness and wellness app for moms. Most of Arndt's clients can be reached after a 30-minute brisk walk, according to her "Depending on their speed and gait, they take between 3,000 and 5,000 steps. However, we shouldn't spend the rest of the day sitting, therefore the goal is to get another 5,000 steps in through normal activities." To get additional steps during the day, you may use an indoor treadmill or go for an afternoon walk around the block.

Arndt advises her clients to take 10,000 total steps per day, but she recognizes that this isn't a realistic goal for everyone. "The ideal thing to do is have someone wear a fitness tracker for a week, check what their average step counts are during the week, and have them try to raise their step counts by 10%," Arndt advised. "Not only does this provide them with a realistic objective, but it also motivates them to increase their daily activity."

To lose weight, how fast should you walk?

If you're specifically trying to lose weight, the intensity of your physical activity is also important. "The amount of calories you burn when walking is mostly determined by how quickly you walk. Walking 10,000 steps at a reasonable pace may not be enough to help you lose weight "Gregg Kai Nishi, MD, a bariatric surgeon at the Khalili Center and the director of the K and B Surgical Center's Institute For Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery, told POPSUGAR. "On the other hand, walking quickly, even if only 10,000 steps, may be far more advantageous in terms of weight loss."

However, even walking 10,000 steps a day may not be enough to lose weight on its own. Strength exercise, in addition to looking at your step counts, has scientific benefits for raising your metabolism, burning calories, and thus aiding weight loss, according to Arndt. "The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn both at rest and when you're exercising." She advises her clients to begin or maintain a strength-training routine at least two days a week, which can include free weights or activities such as yoga or a bootcamp-style session.

How Many Calories Do You Burn When You Walk?

A person can burn 100 calories walking one mile on average. Walking 10,000 steps is equivalent to walking five miles, thus completing a full day of 10,000 steps will burn roughly 500 calories. If you don't also create a calorie deficit, increasing your activity won't help you lose weight. As a result, it's critical to keep track of your eating patterns throughout the day. Make sure to consume a nutrient-dense daily diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. While walking 6,000 to 10,000 steps or more per day can have a variety of health benefits, keeping track of what you eat and how many calories you consume can go a long way toward achieving your weight-loss objectives.

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