Walking every day offers many exciting benefits. It’s an effective and affordable way to stay healthy and active. Walking enough each day can support weight control, help lower your risk of depression, and improve your bone and brain health.
Recently, many people have started aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day as an effective way to stay active. But you might be wondering why this goal is set and whether it can really help you meet your fitness goals. Keep reading to find out how many calories you can burn by walking 10,000 steps.
Walking 10,000 steps a day (about 5 miles) is a popular fitness goal that began in Japan in the 1960s. Studies show it can improve health and even support weight loss, especially when combined with healthy eating.
One study showed a 3.7% drop in BMI (body mass index) over six months with daily walking and diet support. While walking alone may not cause weight loss, it’s a simple way to live healthier and stay active.
The calories you burn by walking 10,000 steps may vary for each person. Numerous factors affect calorie burn, including:
People who weigh more often burn more calories because it takes more effort to move a heavier weight. However, some recent research shows this might not always be true when body weight is adjusted in studies.
Faster walking or walking uphill generally burns more calories. On the other hand, walking slowly or going downhill burns fewer calories. One study even showed that walking at 4 mph burns about 153 more calories than walking at 2 mph for the same distance.
Your genes also play a major role in how many calories you burn. One study with twins found that genetics could explain up to 72% of the difference in calorie burn during daily activities.
In short, calorie burn from 10,000 steps isn’t the same for everyone—it mainly depends on your walking style, body, and even your DNA.
Using a simple formula, you can easily estimate how many calories you burn while walking 10,000 steps. The number usually depends on your walking speed, body weight, and the time it takes you to finish the steps.
Here are some sample outcomes based on walking for 60 minutes :
Weight | Slow Walk (2 mph, 2.8 METs) | Moderate (3 mph, 4.3 METs) | Very Fast (5 mph, 8.3 METs) | Very Fast (5 mph, 8.3 METs) |
220 lbs (100 kg) | 294 cal | 451 cal | 525 cal | 872 cal |
190 lbs (86 kg) | 253 cal | 388 cal | 451 cal | 749 cal |
160 lbs (73 kg) | 214 cal | 329 cal | 383 cal | 636 cal |
130 lbs (59 kg) | 173 cal | 266 cal | 309 cal | 514 cal |
If you are looking to boost your health and fitness by walking more, try these easy tips to help you reach 10,000 steps daily:
How many calories you burn mainly depends on your walking speed, weight, and genetics. But it’s okay if 10,000 steps feel too high — even fewer steps can still improve your health. After all, walking regularly can still bring lots of health benefits, whether it’s 10,000 steps or less.
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