How many steps do you need to take every day to lose weight? Is the 10,000-steps-a-day rule universal? This apparently simple question hides a scientific complexity that we're going to unravel.
Step simulator for weight loss
These data take into account a varied and balanced theoretical food intake
| Target loss | Steps per day | Not per week |
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The marketing origin of 10,000 steps
The goal of 10,000 steps a day is not the result of rigorous medical research, but of a marketing campaign.
In the 1960s, the Japanese company Yamasa launched a pedometer called "Manpo-kei", which means "10,000-step counter".
They based their work on the theories of Dr. Yoshiro Hatano, according to whom walking 10,000 steps a day could burn some 500 daily calories, improve health and, for some, lose weight.
This memorably round number has become a global benchmark, adopted by the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association. Recent research, however, qualifies this universal recommendation.
Today, scientific evidence is converging on several points:
- Walking improves cardiovascular and metabolic health from as little as 7,500 steps
- 10,000 steps burn around 350-400 calories for an average adult
- Weight loss requires a calorie deficit of 7,700 calories per kilo
- Intensity counts as much as quantity
- Approach must be tailored to individual profile
Despite all the research, some grey areas remain:
- The exact impact of genetic variability on walking efficiency
- Very long-term effects (> 5 years) of walking programs
- The precise interaction between walking, microbiota and metabolism
- Optimal thresholds according to ethnicity and environmental factors
What recent scientific studies say
Health benefits with no miracle effect on weight
A meta-analysis2 totalling the follow-up of 47,471 adults between 1999 and 2018 concludes on a clear link between more steps and reduced mortality.
Maximum profit appears to be stabilizing:
- between 6000-8000 steps/day for over-60s
- entre 8000–10 000 pas/jour pour les <60 ans
Going beyond these thresholds brings no clear additional benefit, and no single universal threshold of 10,000 steps/day has been identified as optimal.
Catrine Tudor-Locke, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at theSchool of Public Health and Health Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, specifies the health benefits from 7,500 steps in a day:
- increased metabolism and energy,
- reduced risk of various pathologies.
"We specifically recommend that adults avoid averaging fewer than 5,000 steps per day and strive to average at least 7,500 steps per day, including at least 3,000 steps (i.e. at least 30 minutes) at a pace of at least 100 steps per minute."
Karen Collins, nutritionist
Limited effect on weight loss
Popular accounts of people who have lost several dozen kilos by walking 10,000 steps a day do not reflect the scientific reality for the majority of individuals.
A study of 38 sedentary obese participants, for example, observed a 2.7 kg reduction in body fat after 38 weeks at 10,000 daily steps.1
According to another 12-week 3sstudy at 10,000 steps a day in 35 overweight participants, this goal significantly reduced anxiety, depression and fatigue, while improving vigour. It also reduced weight, BMI, waist circumference and body fat.
So, yes to the 10,000 steps a day (or a little less) to look after your cardiovascular and brain health. But don't expect this activity to be enough to regulate your weight if, at the same time, you're chasing fast food and aperitifs.
The science of caloric expenditure through walking
Scientific formulas and calculations
To understand the real impact of walking on weight loss, we need to rely on precise data.
The formula for calculating the number of calories burned per activity is MET ratio x 3.5, where MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) varies according to the intensity of the walk:
- Marche lente (< 3 km/h) : 2,0 MET
- Normal walking (4 km/h): 3.0 METs
- Fast walking (6+ km/h): 4.5 METs
10,000 steps is about 7.5 kilometers a day. These 10,000 steps will burn between 300 and 400 calories. For a 70 kg person walking at a normal pace, this equates to around 350 calories burned.
Let's take another example to illustrate this calculation:
Calculation steps
500 steps × 0.00075 km/step = 0.375 km
0.375 km ÷ 4 km/h = 0.09375 h = 5.625 min
(MET × 3.5 × Weight) ÷ 200 = (3.0 × 3.5 × 70) ÷ 200 = 3.68 kcal/min
3.68 kcal/min × 5.625 min = 20.7 kcal
You need to accumulate a calorie deficit of 7500 to 9000 calories to lose 1 kg of body fat. For a weight loss of 0.5 kg per week, you therefore need to create a daily calorie deficit of around 550 calories.
Basic metabolism as a foundation
Basal metabolism decreases with age, by 2-3% per decade after adulthood, which explains the need to adjust caloric intake as we age. Genetic factors can influence up to 20% of the inter-individual variability in basal metabolic rate.
Several scientific formulas are used around the world to accurately calculate pitch requirements, but the most widely accepted is the Black et al. (1996) formula:
- Female: [0.963 × Weight(kg)^0.48 × Height(m)^0.50 × Age(yr)^-0.13] × (1000/4.1855)
- Male: [1.083 × Weight(kg)^0.48 × Height(m)^0.50 × Age(yr)^-0.13] × (1000/4.1855)
Variability factors
Intensity and cadence: in general, a cadence of 100 steps per minute is recommended for adults to achieve moderate intensity, but the elderly may require a higher cadence.
Body composition and genetics: genetics may contribute 25% to 40% of vulnerability to weight gain (or loss); furthermore, the rapidly rising incidence of obesity suggests the existence of additional environmental causes.
Metabolic adaptation: during weight loss, the metabolism generally slows down in proportion to the lean body mass lost. But some studies4 show a greater slowdown than expected. For example, in people who lost 10% of their body weight, the resting metabolism dropped by around 15 kJ/kg. This could be the body's reaction to return to its initial weight.
On this last point, all is not lost, as the metabolic adaptation linked to caloric restriction seems to be cancelled out by the addition of physical exercise to the diet. In a study by Redman LM in 2009 5, the addition of 5 sessions of 50 minutes of aerobic exercise per week avoided the phenomenon of metabolic adaptation.
Concrete, science-based recommendations
Getting started
For the most sedentary, a target of 7,500 steps would be more realistic. Science seems to set a minimum of 5,000 steps a day as the minimum you need to walk to get out of a sedentary lifestyle.
Below this threshold, people are more often obese and suffer more from cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
For weight loss
Based on our analysis of scientific data, here are the recommendations, which can be modulated according to different personal factors:
- Maintenance walk: 7,000 to 9,000 steps depending on age
- Walking for slight weight loss (0.25 kg/week): 10,000 to 12,000 steps
- Walking for moderate weight loss (0.5 kg/week): 13,000 to 15,000 steps
- Recommended intensity: 100 steps/minute minimum
Scientific research confirms that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Needs vary according to :
- Individual basal metabolic rate
- Age and gender
- Body composition
- Walking intensity
- Associated nutrition
- Weight loss (or maintenance) objectives
Conclusion: towards a more personalized approach
In France, 63% of people say they watch their weight, and 44% have already been on a diet. The question of the number of steps is therefore a legitimate concern, as it is an integral part of daily expenditure.
However, science teaches us that the answer cannot be universal.
Rather than blindly aiming for 10,000 steps, the scientific approach proposes several recommendations:
- Evaluate your basal metabolic rate with validated formulas
- Calculate your personalized caloric needs according to your profile
- Determine the number of steps corresponding to your goals
- Adjust intensity to optimize efficiency
- Combine with a consistent nutritional approach
The simulator integrated into this page provides personalized recommendations based on these scientific data, marking an evolution towards a more precise and effective approach to weight loss through walking.
The goal of 10,000 steps remains valid as a starting point, but science invites us to go further in the personalization process to achieve lasting results tailored to each individual.
Based on the latest scientific research and the Compendium of Physical Activities 2024.
Other major scientific sources
1SchneiderPL, Bassett DR Jr, Thompson DL, Pronk NP, Bielak KM. Effects of a 10,000 steps per day goal in overweight adults. Am J Health Promot. 2006
2PaluchAE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022
3Yuenyongchaiwat, Kornanong. "Effects of 10,000 steps a day on physical and mental health in overweight participants in a community setting: a preliminary study." Brazilian journal of physical therapy vol. 20,4 (2016)
4HollyR Wyatt & al, Resting energy expenditure in reduced-obese subjects in the National Weight Control Registry,The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999
5RedmanLM, Heilbronn LK, Martin CK, et al. Metabolic and behavioral compensations in response to caloric restriction: implications for the maintenance of weight loss. PLoS One. 2009
