Weight Loss: How Many Calories Can Walking 10000 Steps Burn?

Sign In

TOI

TOI

• lifestyle
• relationship
• Health+
• style
• visual stories
• trending
• parenting
• soul search
• beauty
• books
• recipes
• food news
• travel
• home & garden
• events
• spotlight

• health news
• fitness
• diet
• mental health
• coronavirus
• alternative therapies
• weight loss
• videos
• diseases
• yoga

• News
• lifestyle
• health-fitness
• fitness
• Weight loss: How many calories can walking 10,000 steps burn?

TrendingValentine's Day MessagesValentine's Day GreetingsWorld Largest WaterfallHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiRobert FrostValentine's Day MessagesValentine's Day GreetingsWorld Largest WaterfallHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiRobert FrostValentine's Day MessagesValentine's Day GreetingsWorld Largest WaterfallHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiRobert FrostWeight loss: How many calories can walking 10,000 steps burn? Jan 26, 2021, 10:00 ISTShareAA+Text Size

• Small
• Medium
• Large

Follow us

1/9

Weight loss: How many calories can walking 10,000 steps burn?

How many of you think that hitting the 10K mark on your fitness band is enough to maintain your health? Well, most of us.

The idea of walking 10,000 steps per day originated in 1965 when a Japanese company developed a pedometer called 'Manpo-Kei', which means '10,000 steps meter'.

The goal became a famous one because it was easy to remember and way beyond the daily steps for most people. The best part about the 10,000 steps goal is that it's challenging but achievable at the same time. But is walking 10,000 steps a day enough? It totally depends on your goals. Here in this article, we will delve into how many calories can 10,000 steps help you burn and can it help you lose weight.

2/9

Calories burned by 10,000 steps

Most people burn around 30-40 calories per 1,000 steps, which means they will burn around 300-400 calories by walking 10,000 steps. But this is just an estimate. Though every step you take burns calories, the exact amount is highly individualised.

The calories burned depends on your weight, height, fitness level, pace and the area you are walking in.

3/9

Exercising is important

Exercising regularly is important to maintain a healthy body weight. As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people must aim to achieve 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per week, which can include walking too. The other recommendation for this is walking 10,000 steps a day.

To get a more accurate measurement of the calories burned by walking 10,000 steps, experts recommend using a measurement called metabolic equivalent (METs). One MET is the amount of energy used when we sit still.

Brisk walking at just over 3 miles in an hour is around 3.5 METs while walking uphill is about 6 METs.

4/9

MET or other activities

Sedentary—Uses 1.5 or fewer METs. Examples include sitting, reclining, or lying down.

Light intensity—Uses from 1.6-3.0 METs. Examples include walking at a leisurely pace or standing in line at the store.

Moderate intensity—Uses from 3.0-6.0 METs. Examples include walking briskly, vacuuming, or raking leaves.

Vigorous-intensity—Uses from 6.0+ METs. Examples are walking very quickly, running, taking an aerobics class, or shoveling snow.

5/9

Calories burned with METs

Formula: Energy expenditure (in kcal/min) = 0.0175 x MET x weight (in kg)

So, if a person weighing 68 kilograms walks on a flat surface at a pace of 3 mph, using around 3.5 METs, he would burn around 4 calories per minute, which means 400 calories per hour.

People nowadays use smartwatches and different apps to calculate their steps and calories burned, but it's always better to cross-check the number with the equation given above.

6/9

Can walking 10,000 steps a day help you reach your weight loss goals?

The first step to losing weight is creating a calorie deficit, which means burning more calories than you consume. Most people need a calorie deficit of around 500 calories per day to lose half a kilo per week. Thus, people aiming to lose weight should exercise for at least 150-200 minutes per week and walk 10,000 steps per day to achieve their weight loss goals.

7/9

The study

According to a 2018 study, people who walked 10,000 steps a day lost more weight than people who walked 3500 steps per day.

8/9

Walking 10,000 steps

Walking is one of the safest and easiest exercises. But if you are someone who does not do any exercise, starting with 10,000 a day can be difficult.

It's best to stay as active as possible before trying to achieve the target of 10,000 steps per day. Elderly and overweight people should gradually increase their steps, aiming for extra 1,000 steps per day each week until they reach their goals.

On the other hand, when people constantly achieve their goal of walking 10,000 steps per day, they should swap walking activity with a higher MET, like jogging or swimming to burn more calories.

The best benefit of taking more steps per day is it can also reduce mortality from any cause.

9/9

Verdict

Walking 10,000 steps was just a market slogan and not science-backed. As per studies, more movement, which can be measured by more steps or any other physical activity is important for good health. Overall, adopting a healthy lifestyle and staying active every day is the best way to lose weight healthily.

Follow Us On Social Media

Photostories

• 1
• 2
• 3

lifestyle videos

32:03

32:03

27:30

13:05

16:34

04:34

06:37

03:19

04:48

07:18

08:08

06:47

03:20

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

More Videos

Featured In lifestyle

MORE FROM ETIMES

life & styleQudra LakesValentine's Day MessagesDr Mickey MehtaBaby NamesValentine's Day WishesLiving and entertainmentETimesTravel DestinationsCricbuzz.comTVLifestyleNewspaper SubscriptionFood NewsTimes PrimeWhats HotServicesCouponDuniaTechGigTimesJobsBollywood NewsTimes MobileGadgetsWork with UsColombiaHot on the WebValentine's Day WishesAnurag KashyapVijay DeverakondaValentine's Day QuotesSalman KhanRajpal YadavShraddhaDhanushBaby NamesValentine Day Gift IdeasGeorge ClooneyInderjeet Singh'O'Romeo' Box Office CollectionSnakes Hiding SpotsSmriti MandhanaGauri KhanPriyanka ChopraKrushna AbhishekPandit Ravi ShankarDrishyam 31987 Dinner MenuMardaani 3 Box Office CollectionSufi Heritage Festival 2026Hair Care TipsBorder 2 CollectionRobert FrostBorder 2 Movie ReviewZodiac SignsFarhan AkhtarTu Yaa Main Movie ReviewToday Gold Rate in ChennaiDelhi Weather TodayDelhi AQI TodayMumbai AQI TodayMaharashtra Public Holidays 2026JPMorganQuote Of The Day By Marie CurieElon MuskRajpal Yadav Car CollectionMG MajestorSamsung Galaxy s26Trending TopicsLatest MoviesBollywood MoviesHollywood MoviesTamil Movies 2026Telugu Movies 2026Malayalam Movies 2026Kannada MoviesMarathi MoviesBengali Movies 2026Top Rated Movies 2026Best Hindi MoviesBest English MoviesBest Telugu MoviesBest Tamil MoviesBest Malayalam MoviesBest Kannada MoviesBest Bengali MoviesUpcoming Hindi MoviesBest Movies Of All TimeBest Hindi Movies of All TimeLatest English MoviesLatest Malayalam MoviesEnglish TV NewsTamil TV NewsTelugu TV NewsMalayalam TV NewsKannada TV NewsMovie ReviewsBhojpuri Cinema NewsGujarati Cinema NewsPopular CategoriesViral NewsK Pop NewsWeb Series NewsAnime NewsUpcoming English MoviesUpcoming Tamil MoviesUpcoming Telugu MoviesUpcoming Malayalam MoviesUpcoming Kannada MoviesFashion TipsTravel NewsEntertainment NewsBollywood NewsTollywood NewsKollywood NewsMollywood NewsFood NewsLatest Hindi MoviesLatest Tamil MoviesParenting TipsHome RemediesWeight LossBeauty TipsParenting TipsHindi VideosHindi Video SongsBhojpuri Music VideosLatest Telugu MoviesBhojpuri Music VideoHindi TV NewsLatest NewsBigg Boss OTT 3’s Chandrika Dixit aka Vada Pav Girl asks mystery man to marry her amid cheating allegations; see video'Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups’ : Dil Raju dismisses publicity stunt rumours over Rs 120 crore distribution deal for Yash filmAt what age should kids get their first phone?'Chilling effect on me': Upset at Supreme Court remarks, Allahabad HC judge says won’t hear bail petitionsT20 World Cup: Group B thrown wide open as blessing Muzarabani helps Zimbabwe stun AustraliaAt what age should kids get their first phone?The 'Death Zone' of Mount Everest - what it really is, and why it’s so deadly'Devotion etched in our consciousness': PM Modi pays tribute to fallen soldiers on Pulwama attack anniversaryKerala girl, 10 months old, saves four lives through organ donation: Alin Sherin Abraham’s legacy of love and courageValentine's Day special! Karan Kundrra on four years of relationship with Tejasswi PrakashWhen poor organization is a sign kids need more supportHappy Valentines Day 2026: 51 Best Valentine's Day Wishes and Messages for girlfriend, boyfriend, husband and wifeLove Horoscope Today, February 14, 2026: What the stars say about your love life'Charlie's Angels' set for a big revival: Studio begins early developmentHalle Berry and Van Hunt's engagement: ‘Catwoman’ star needed time ‘to get comfortable with the idea of getting married again'Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting married soon? Here’s what we know about the ongoing rumorsMumbai loses 155cr to digitalarrest scams, 33% rise in 1 yrKate Hudson revisits ‘almost famous’ legacy after unexpected co-star meetingCopyright © 2026 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication ServiceFollow us on