In the era With the advent of wearables, fitness is no longer just about going for a run on a nice day or planning a walk around the neighborhood with a friend for exercise — now, these feats are all about hitting 10,000 steps a day.
Even if you’re not a slave to a fitness tracker, the idea of walking 10,000 steps a day is a common health goal for many Americans.
“The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day actually came from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign for a device called the 10,000-step pedometer,” he says. Kim YawitzRD: “At the time, the number 10,000 had no medical meaning. It was simply chosen because the Japanese characters for 10,000 resemble the figure of a person walking (which made for a great logo).”
Even now, there’s no medical consensus on how many steps a day you should aim for, and the number you need varies depending on your age and other factors.
Still, this goal has gained a lot of attention in the fitness world, especially among those looking to lose weight, and the results have been impressive. Can you really burn enough calories to create a calorie deficit?
We asked a nutritionist how many calories walking 10,000 steps actually burns.
How many calories will you burn if you walk 10,000 steps?
The short answer is that it varies from person to person.
That’s because the number of calories you burn doing something depends on a variety of factors, including your weight, muscle mass, and whether you’re jogging, running, or walking.
With that in mind, Yawitz says that an average-sized man (roughly 200 pounds) can burn about 400 to 500 calories by taking 10,000 steps during normal daily activities, like walking around the office.
“But larger men generally burn more calories than smaller men, just like a Hummer burns more fuel than a Mini Cooper,” she says. “The number of calories you burn while walking depends on your body size and how intensely you’re moving.”
In general, people of all sizes can burn more calories by walking more intensely, Yawitz says, by wearing a weighted vest, walking faster, swinging your arms, and taking steps when possible.
Plus, if you’ve never tried to get in 10,000 steps a day, you might be surprised at how difficult it is, says Yawitz. Finding small opportunities for movement throughout the day can make your 10,000-step goal easier to reach.
“Parking your car away from building entrances, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking around for a few minutes every hour can help you inch closer to your goal,” she says.
Remember to keep safety in mind, especially if you’re new to exercise or just trying to add more activity to your day: While walking is low-impact, doing anything too quickly can still cause injury, says Yawitz.
“It’s important to start slow and gradually increase your steps, especially if your baseline number is low,” she says. “Try increasing your seven-day average by 500 to 1,000 steps at a time until you reach the 10,000-step mark.”
