Can Walking More Help You Lose Weight?

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="502" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cardio-2-How-to-Increase-Walking-Speed-to-Enhance-Fitness-1024x643.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How to Increase Walking Speed to Enhance Fitness" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cardio-2-How-to-Increase-Walking-Speed-to-Enhance-Fitness-1024x643.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cardio-2-How-to-Increase-Walking-Speed-to-Enhance-Fitness-300x188.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cardio-2-How-to-Increase-Walking-Speed-to-Enhance-Fitness-768x482.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cardio-2-How-to-Increase-Walking-Speed-to-Enhance-Fitness.jpg 1504w" /> Right here’s a state of affairs I hear in nearly each weight loss-related counseling session. You’re making an attempt to drop pounds and are looking for time to slot in a exercise, however between your job, errands, and every little thing else in your plate, squeezing in an hour on the health club is simply not occurring. To not point out the truth that intense exercises sound daunting and like an harm ready to occur. That is so relatable!

Right here’s what I remind my purchasers and what I’ll share with you: You don’t need to go all out, get drenched in sweat, or go to a health club to make progress. Strolling–sure, plain previous strolling–is likely one of the most underrated instruments for weight reduction. It’s simple to begin, doesn’t require a health club membership, and may ship outcomes. Right here’s methods to stroll to drop pounds.

Can Strolling Actually Result in Weight Loss?

The brief reply is sure, so long as it helps you create a calorie deficit (1).

Weight reduction all the time boils all the way down to a calorie deficit, and although calorie math is a very simplistic manner to consider it, it may be useful (5). So, let’s think about that your physique is sort of a backpack you’re carrying on a hike. As you’re climbing, you may drink some water or eat path combine out of your pack. This lightens the backpack.

Equally, strolling can assist you drop pounds by serving to you obtain the calorie deficit wanted for weight reduction (1). Strolling helps tip the size in your favor by rising the variety of energy you burn all through the day (5).

One large manner strolling helps is that it boosts NEAT (5). I feel NEAT is actually cool! It’s brief for non-exercise exercise thermogenesis, or all of the motion you do exterior of structured exercises, akin to pacing throughout a telephone name, taking the steps, or shifting about your kitchen as you prepare dinner and do dishes (5). The extra you progress, the extra energy you burn, even when it doesn’t really feel like train (5). In actual fact, there’s proof you can burn between 100 and 800 energy in non-exercise motion all through the day (5)!

<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/do-you-really-need-10000-steps-a-day-to-lose-weight-1024x683.jpg" alt="Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps a Day to Lose Weight? Here’s What Science Says | MyFitnessPal" class="wp-image-64199 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/do-you-really-need-10000-steps-a-day-to-lose-weight-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/do-you-really-need-10000-steps-a-day-to-lose-weight-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/do-you-really-need-10000-steps-a-day-to-lose-weight-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/do-you-really-need-10000-steps-a-day-to-lose-weight.jpg 1349w" /> You may also like

Do You Actually Want 10,000 Steps a Day to Lose Weight? Right here’s What Science Says

How A lot Do You Must Stroll to See Outcomes?

There’s no one-size-fits-all reply (3). It is determined by your start line, life-style, age, targets, and different elements (3). However the important thing to seeing progress is making a constant routine you possibly can construct upon.

Listed below are some suggestions that can assist you get began.

Determine your baseline. Examine your health tracker or telephone after a typical day to see what number of steps you’re at the moment logging (3).

Begin small and construct progressively. Including an additional 1,000–2,000 steps on prime of your baseline is a sensible and efficient solution to ease right into a extra energetic life-style (3).

Work towards a standard goal. For common well being and weight administration, a purpose of seven,000 to 10,000 steps per day is usually really useful (3).

Attempt time-based targets. In the event you desire to trace time as a substitute of steps, purpose for 30–60 minutes of strolling every day, which generally lands you in that very same step vary (3).

Break it up. Don’t fear in the event you can’t slot in an extended stroll all of sudden. A number of 10–15 minute walks all through the day will be simply as efficient and sometimes simpler to stay with (3).

To place some numbers to it, one examine discovered that strolling a mean of 10,000 steps per day over 18 months was linked to vital weight reduction–about 10% of individuals’s physique weight (6). Of these steps, round 3,500 steps have been achieved at a brisker tempo–sufficient to get their coronary heart fee up (6). This means that each step rely and step depth could also be wanted to supply outcomes (6).

Methods to Make Strolling a Behavior

After I counsel individuals on growing habits, I assist them brainstorm methods to implement their targets. As I inform my sufferers, a purpose and not using a plan is only a dream. I would like you to achieve your targets, so take into account the following pointers that can assist you make strolling a behavior.

Put it in your calendar (3). Attempt including a stroll very first thing within the morning, throughout lunch, or after meals. You possibly can go for 3 shorter walks or an extended stroll at considered one of these instances (3).

Make it enjoyable (3). Discover a solution to stay up for your stroll by creating an upbeat playlist to hearken to, downloading an audiobook, saving a TV present or film for a treadmill stroll, or making a strolling date with a buddy.

Monitor your progress (3). Use MyFitnessPal or a health wearable to remain motivated (4). It's possible you'll discover progress when strolling ahead of you discover it on the size–whether or not that’s an elevated tempo, elevated mileage, or additional time.

Extra Advantages of Strolling (In addition to Weight Loss)

Sure, strolling is a type of train, but it surely isn’t nearly burning energy! In the event you’re pondering solely of the calorie-burning advantages, you might be lacking out. Consider strolling as a reset button in your physique and your mind. Even a brief stroll can have a ripple impact on how you're feeling all through the day (3).

Listed below are a number of the advantages.

Can elevate your temper (3).

Could assist wholesome blood sugar ranges and cut back threat elements for sort 2 diabetes (3).

Helps cut back stress and clears psychological muddle (3).

Helps joint well being by holding them lubricated and in movement (3)

Can support digestion, particularly after meals, when motion helps issues transfer alongside (7).

Ceaselessly Requested Questions (FAQs)

What number of steps do I must take a day to drop pounds? That is determined by a number of elements, together with your preliminary weight and your tempo (1). Simply to provide you some steerage, analysis suggests aiming for 10,000 steps per day, with a little bit over ⅓ of these steps taken at a brisker tempo–sufficient to boost your coronary heart fee (6).

Is strolling sufficient to lose stomach fats? Strolling can assist cut back general physique fats, together with stomach fats, when mixed with wholesome consuming that places you in a calorie deficit (1).

Can I drop pounds simply by strolling with out altering my weight loss program? You may, however combining strolling with aware and balanced consuming offers you one of the best probability at making a calorie deficit, and subsequently, at success (1).

What tempo ought to I stroll at for weight reduction? Intention for a brisk tempo (1). Examine in with your self to be sure to’re respiration rapidly, however you’re not out of breath (8). One other solution to gauge it's that in the event you can sing, you in all probability must step it up (8).

Is it higher to stroll all of sudden or in brief bursts? No matter suits your schedule! Quick bouts all through the day will be simply as efficient as one lengthy stroll (2). Ideally, be sure a few of your steps are brisk sufficient to be thought of reasonable train (1).

The Backside Line

A constant strolling behavior can assist you drop pounds, but it surely does a lot greater than that (1). When it turns into a part of your routine, it could possibly assist enhance your temper and vitality and may enhance mobility and digestion (2, 7). Pair each day walks with a nutritious consuming plan and instruments like MyFitnessPal (4, 5). This can be a nice solution to be sure to’re consuming properly and making a calorie deficit, which is able to enhance your probabilities of success (5).