Can Strolling Extra Assist 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" decoding="async" 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" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Right here’s a situation I hear in nearly each weight loss-related counseling session. You’re attempting to shed some 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 gymnasium 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 gymnasium to make progress. Strolling–sure, plain previous strolling–is among the most underrated instruments for weight reduction. It’s straightforward to start out, doesn’t require a gymnasium membership, and may ship outcomes. Right here’s learn how to stroll to shed some 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 at all times boils all the way down to a calorie deficit, and though calorie math is an excessively simplistic means 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 would possibly drink some water or eat path combine out of your pack. This lightens the backpack.

Equally, strolling may help you shed some pounds by serving to you obtain the calorie deficit wanted for weight reduction (1). Strolling helps tip the dimensions in your favor by rising the variety of energy you burn all through the day (5).

One huge means strolling helps is that it boosts NEAT (5). I believe NEAT is actually cool! It’s brief for non-exercise exercise thermogenesis, or all of the motion you do outdoors of structured exercises, reminiscent of pacing throughout a telephone name, taking the steps, or transferring 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 truth, there’s proof that you could burn between 100 and 800 energy in non-exercise motion all through the day (5)!

<img decoding="async" 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" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> 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 Have to Stroll to See Outcomes?

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

Listed below are some suggestions that will help you get began.

Determine your baseline. Test 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 steadily. Including an additional 1,000–2,000 steps on high of your baseline is a practical and efficient method to ease right into a extra lively life-style (3).

Work towards a typical goal. For basic well being and weight administration, a aim of seven,000 to 10,000 steps per day is usually really helpful (3).

Strive time-based targets. Should you want to trace time as an alternative 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 for those who can’t slot in an extended stroll abruptly. A number of 10–15 minute walks all through the day may be simply as efficient and sometimes simpler to stay with (3).

To place some numbers to it, one research discovered that strolling a median of 10,000 steps per day over 18 months was linked to important weight reduction–about 10% of individuals’s physique weight (6). Of these steps, round 3,500 steps had been executed at a brisker tempo–sufficient to get their coronary heart price up (6). This implies that each step depend and step depth could also be wanted to provide outcomes (6).

Methods to Make Strolling a Behavior

Once I counsel individuals on creating habits, I assist them brainstorm methods to implement their targets. As I inform my sufferers, a aim with no plan is only a dream. I would like you to achieve your targets, so think about the following pointers that will help you make strolling a behavior.

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

Make it enjoyable (3). Discover a method to sit up for your stroll by creating an upbeat playlist to take heed to, downloading an audiobook, saving a TV present or film for a treadmill stroll, or making a strolling date with a good friend.

Monitor your progress (3). Use MyFitnessPal or a health wearable to remain motivated (4). You could discover progress when strolling ahead of you discover it on the dimensions–whether or not that’s an elevated tempo, elevated mileage, or further 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! Should you’re considering solely of the calorie-burning advantages, you could be lacking out. Consider strolling as a reset button on your physique and your mind. Even a brief stroll can have a ripple impact on how you are feeling all through the day (3).

Listed below are a number of the advantages.

Can carry your temper (3).

Could assist wholesome blood sugar ranges and cut back danger components for kind 2 diabetes (3).

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

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

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

Regularly Requested Questions (FAQs)

What number of steps do I have to take a day to shed some pounds? That depends upon a number of components, together with your preliminary weight and your tempo (1). Simply to offer you some steerage, analysis suggests aiming for 10,000 steps per day, with slightly over ⅓ of these steps taken at a brisker tempo–sufficient to boost your coronary heart price (6).

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

Can I shed some pounds simply by strolling with out altering my weight-reduction plan? You would possibly, however combining strolling with conscious and balanced consuming offers you the most effective probability at making a calorie deficit, and subsequently, at success (1).

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

Is it higher to stroll abruptly or briefly bursts? No matter suits your schedule! Brief bouts all through the day may be simply as efficient as one lengthy stroll (2). Ideally, make certain a few of your steps are brisk sufficient to be thought-about average train (1).

The Backside Line

A constant strolling behavior may help you shed some pounds, but it surely does a lot greater than that (1). When it turns into a part of your routine, it will probably assist increase 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 method to be sure you’re consuming effectively and making a calorie deficit, which is able to increase your probabilities of success (5).