How Many Steps A Day Is Needed For Weight Loss?

Staying physically active has always been popular weight loss advice, and with good reason. The research into the benefits of weight loss based on activity levels has always held that regular movement and physical exertions, particularly brisk walking, are good for one’s health. In fact, it’s long been recognised to help prevent or mitigate the conditions that encourage weight gain, such as metabolic disorders.[1]

With that in mind, how do we determine the best way to lose weight through step counting?

First, let’s break down this weight-loss approach. When it comes to how many steps a day are required to see results, the exact range of numbers will depend on your body’s current condition. However, we can estimate how many calories are burned per number of steps.

The average adult person burns anywhere from 25 to 80 calories per 1,000 steps they take. The range can be further narrowed down by factoring in the person’s height, weight, age, and walking speed. 

A study found that adults take around 4,000 to 18,000 steps per day, and 10,000 steps may be a reasonable daily goal for healthy adults.[2]

You can consult with a medically trained professional before embarking on a journey of 10,000 steps. You can enquire with a Moshy doctor about how many steps are recommended for your unique health conditions and how you can incorporate this routine into your day-to-day life. You may even ask whether meal replacement shakes are recommended when you’re trying to lose weight.

As with any physical activity, the calories we burn add up the more regularly we exercise. Whenever possible, get as close to or a little over the target number of steps daily, whether it’s the full 10,000 steps or an adjusted number tailored specifically to your weight loss program. Ten thousand steps equal roughly eight kilometres – if it’s more convenient or healthier to break up the steps into shorter walks, then feel free to do so.

Low-impact physical exercises like brisk walking will do wonders for losing weight, as well as improving your cardio and trimming fat from lower-body muscles.[3] Proceeding with caution is best to ensure that you also do not hurt yourself in the process.

Bring your Moshy doctor into the fold regarding any plans to adjust how many steps a day to lose weight are involved in your current weight loss program, or let them work with you on a personalised weight loss plan.

When it comes to answering the question of ‘How many steps a day is needed for weight loss?’ the consensus is that ‘more is better’.[4]

There are important factors to consider, of course.

The quality and type of the exercises themselves will affect the desired results or lack thereof. For example, walking faster can burn more calories.[5] Moreover, the intensity of certain workouts may encourage weight loss better when paired with considerable diet changes.[6]

While it may not be necessary to change your diet for you to lose weight through walking, you can consider adjusting your diet for better results. Your Moshy doctor may advise you on which foods are high in fat and should be cut, as well as what foods to eat for weight loss or promote a more effective metabolism.

Conversely, some workouts lose their effectiveness over time – an effect called plateauing, where a workout becomes familiar to the body, leading to a plateau or even a drop in the number of calories burned through the workout.[7] This also affects how many steps a day to lose weight you’ll need to add to your routine as you progress through your weight loss program.

In summary, your walking speed can affect how many calories you burn. For some folks, a gradual increase in steps per day is best to account for ongoing health concerns, while others may benefit more from more intensive step aerobic or athletic exercises.[8]

As we get on with age, we develop more health complications. Among these complications are joint pains, balance issues, weakened immune systems, cardiovascular and respiratory issues.[9] To this end, staying active is vital to keeping our bodies healthy.

For our older peers, one study commented on how many steps a day is needed for weight loss or to maintain a healthy weight ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 steps. The number lowers further when there are disabilities or chronic illnesses present.[10] Before trying any rigorous physical activity, it’s best to exercise caution.

First, speak with your Moshy doctor for advice on how many steps a day is needed for weight loss. We have a brief questionnaire here at Moshy that you can fill out for your first consultation. Using this information, we’ll connect you with one of our doctors and set up your first consultation at the soonest available time.

There are also many tools and devices that will help make exercising more convenient and able to be tracked, such as step calculator apps or pedometers.[11] Medical consultations are also becoming more accessible through online health platforms like Moshy, which connect folks to AHPRA-registered and licenced doctors with experience in advising on various personal health and care concerns.

We help Australians address women's health concerns other than weight gain as well. Our doctors can provide science-backed advice on weight loss, skincare, our great tasting meal replacement shakes, skincare, and other women's health issues. 

It’s our duty to ourselves to keep our bodies healthy and our minds happy. Often, we can manage well enough on our own – but sometimes, we need help too. We here at Moshy would like to be there for you.

Click below to start your weight loss journey today.