BlogChallengesI've Tried Walking 20,000 Steps a Day for Weight Loss and Here Are My Results
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Mariia Roza Written by Mariia Roza Mariia Roza is a weight loss and fitness writer at Unimeal. She is an expert in nutrition, wellness, longevity, and sports.
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Davi Santana, M.Sc. Fact checked by Davi Santana, M.Sc. Davi Santana is a fact checker at Unimeal. He has been a personal trainer for more than 5 years. He is well-versed in strength training, HIIT, running, functional training, and CrossFit.
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If you decide to take long walks to lose weight, I have some great news for you: You will surely succeed! However, you might face some difficulties in the process. Check out, how to start walking 20,000 steps a day and the results you should expect.
During the 2020’th quarantine, Igained about 15 pounds in less than three months. All this stress, anxiety, no physical activity, emotional eating, and actually having nothing else to do except for eating take their toll. As all the gyms were closed, I decided to deal with the weight I’ve gained by taking long walks.
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Why did I choose walking over running?
Running was not an option at the moment because I had an injury from which I haven't fully recovered. What’s more, doing high-intensity training with a new weight that my ankles, knees, and hips were not used to carrying might have resulted in new injuries. That’s why I’ve installed a pedometer app on my phone and started walking.
Another reason why I decided to walk was its psychological benefits. According to some research1Edwards M. K., Loprinzi P. D. (2018, July 7). Experimental effects of brief, single bouts of walking and meditation on mood profile in young adults. Health Promotion Perspectives. DOI:10.15171/hpp.2018.23, walking can decrease your stress and anxiety levels as efficiently as meditation. What I also liked about walking is that it rarely boosts hunger as enormously as running. And I've noticed actual results after walking 20,000 steps a day for several weeks.
How many miles/km are 20,000 steps?
For a person of 5’4" height, 20,000 steps are about 8.5 miles ( 14 km). If you’re about 5’6", this amount of steps will be equal to over 10 miles ( 16 km).2Barreira, Tiago V.; Rowe, David A.; and Kang, Minsoo. (2010). Parameters of Walking and Jogging in Healthy Young Adults. International Journal of Exercise Science: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol3/iss1/2/
How much time does it take to walk 20,000 steps?
With a 4 mphspeed of, it takes 2.5 hours ( 150min) to walk 20,000 steps.
How many calories do 20,000 steps burn?
The number of calories you burn dramatically depends on your body weight, height, pace, sex, muscle mass percentage, etc. Here is the chartof how many calories you might burn per hour of moderate walking (2,000 - 2,400 steps per mile), considering your weight and height.
Calories burned while walking20,000 steps based onweight and height:
| Weight, lb (kg) | Height 6 Feet and Above | Height 5'6" to 5'11" | Height 5'5" and Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb (45 kg) | 550 | 500 | 458 |
| 120 lb ( 55 kg) | 660 | 600 | 550 |
| 140 lb ( 64 kg) | 760 | 691 | 633 |
| 160 lb ( 73 kg) | 870 | 791 | 725 |
| 180 lb ( 82 kg) | 980 | 891 | 817 |
| 200 lb ( 91 kg) | 1090 | 991 | 908 |
| 220 lb ( 100 kg) | 1200 | 1091 | 1000 |
| 250 lb ( 114 kg) | 1370 | 1245 | 1142 |
| 275 lb ( 125 kg) | 1500 | 1364 | 1250 |
| 300 lb (136 kg) | 1640 | 1491 | 1367 |
Considering that 20,000 steps take about 3 hours at this moderate pace, a 180 lb( 82 kg) person will burn around 800 - 1000 calories while walking!
Warning: Some people tend to burn off their poor food choices with overexercising. Please, don’t do that. Make physical activity a joyful addition to your life and not a tedious punishment. Only in this case will you be able to make workouts a healthy, sustainable habit.
How to get 20,000 steps a day?
From my own experience, I’ve learned that you have to plan your day if you want to hit the 20,000 steps goalwith no sacrifices. Now, when the gyms are opened again, you can occupy the treadmill for three hours, but I assure you, this approach won’t make youhappier. I recommend you to think about how you can integrate all these steps in your life by making minor amendments to your daily routine.
If you’re going to the office by public transport, get off the bus or subway at one station beforehand. If you’re driving a car, park it some miles away from the office. If you need something at the supermarket, take a walk and don’t use a car.
If you’re a socializer who likes meeting with friends, offer them to have a walk instead of sitting in a cafe. Take your kids, spouse, parents, dog, whoever for a walk: Have some quality time together.
If you’re working from home and there are no places you have to visit daily, make your own quests. For example, you can walk to a distant coffee shop to have your morning cappuccino. You can choose the far supermarket to do your daily shopping.
This thing with shopping might be a bit tricky, though. Let me explain. I remember feeling awkward about aimlessly strolling, so I set a goal every time I went out. As almost everything was closed, as a rule, I aimed at long-distanced supermarkets. Yes, I’ve lost some weight due to these long walks, but my wallet also became significantly thinner. I always bought something in the supermarkets I set as my “point B,” and these were things I didn’t even need in most cases.
See also:I've Tried Walking 10,000 Steps a Day for Weight Loss and Here's What Happened
How much weight should a person lose walking 20,000 steps a day?
I took 20,000-steps long walks for about two weeks, and I was astonished at how much it has helped me lose weight. I’ve lost almost six pounds in these two weeks, which became the starting point for my getting back into shape journey. Keep in mind, though, that your results might be different from mine which is absolutely fine, as we all have different bodies.
Besides burning calories out, long walks also influence how much you eat. In my case, the decrease in calories I consumed was due to at least three hours I would spend outdoors. This means I wasn’t snacking during these hours.
Another way how walking affects your weight is that it helps you become less focused on food. My problem with the quarantine weight gain was that often I was eating just of boredom. And walking has shown me that there were still some interesting things you could do apart from munching. For example, you could go to the forest or the park and enjoy nature.
Summing up
- Walking is a part of the so-called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) which is a part of your total daily calories needs. By increasing your NEAT (aka taking more steps a day), you make your body burn more calories and, by doing so, boost your metabolism.
- Walking for weight loss is extremely underrated. It is also a fantastic tool to maintain your new physique when you’ve already lost some pounds. Take your steps, and you will see results very fast.
- Walking doesn’t cause hunger spikes as a more intense physical activity often does. This is why walking might be more beneficial for those who try to decrease their calorie intake.
- Increase your steps a day progressively. If currently, you take less than 3,000 steps a day, add 1,000 steps every week. Find asustainable number of steps for you, and try to push yourself a bit harder now and then.
I have tried walking 20,000 steps a day for weight loss, and I know it helps! If you’re not ready to spend that much time walking, increase your daily steps progressively, and you will still be astonished by the changes that happen to your body. It’s not only your weight that will normalize. Walking positively affects your psychological health positively; it boosts your metabolism and improves your stamina and overall fitness.
FAQs
Why am I not losing weight walking 20,000 steps a day? ›
Consider Your Diet
If you have increased your walking and are still not seeing weight loss, it might be a good time to look at what you are eating. You may need to make a few swaps. There are many strategies for this, but the key is maintaining good nutrition.
Improved focus and memory.
Are you wondering how long it will take you to see results from your 20000 steps a day weight loss exercise plan? It might take anywhere from two weeks to a month. Remember that we don't all lose weight at the same pace.
There are so many benefits of walking 20000 steps a day, from improving the function and health of your body to improving your mental well-being and cognitive performance.
How many calories do you burn walking 20,000 steps a day? ›Thus, a 20,000-step walk will see you burn between 600 and 1000 calories. In retrospect, A 125-pound person will burn about 135 calories during a 30-minute walk at 4 miles per hour, and a 155-pound person with the same walking speed will burn 175 calories.
Why am I walking a lot but not losing weight? ›If you're walking every day and not seeing results, you're not burning enough calories on your walks to put you in to a caloric deficit, explained NASM-certified trainer and physical therapist Molly Canu.
Why am I walking but not losing weight? ›One of the main reasons why burning calories through exercise may still not result in weight loss is due to overexertion, or inflammation of your body. If you exercise too hard on a daily basis, there is an excess of inflammation in your body. All the added up inflammation makes you gain more weight than lose.
What will happen if I walk 20,000 steps a day for a month? ›Walking is a physical exercise and also burns calories. If you want to try the 20000 steps a day weight loss, you may expect great results: reduced stomach fat, improved sleep, boosted immune response etc. As good as it sounds, walking 20000 steps a day weight loss has its cons.
How many calories should I eat if I walk 20000 steps? ›| 2,000 Steps per Mile (Height 6 Feet and Above) Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight | ||
|---|---|---|
| 17,000 | 468 | 1,275 |
| 18,000 | 495 | 1,350 |
| 19,000 | 523 | 1,425 |
| 20,000 | 550 | 1,500 |
How far is 20,000 steps in miles/km? For a person with an average walking stride length between 2.2 feet and 2.5 feet, it adds up to roughly 10 miles (16 km).
How many miles is 20 000 steps a day? ›I committed to a goal: 20,000 steps a day, or about 10 miles.
How many steps a day is considered very active? ›
Low active is 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day. Somewhat active is 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day. Active is more than 10,000 steps per day. Highly active is more than 12,500.
What happens to your body when you walk a lot? ›For example, regular brisk walking can help you: Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Improve cardiovascular fitness.
How many steps does it take to lose a pound? ›"Generally, 1 mile (or roughly 2,000 steps) walked equates to [burning] 80 to 100 calories." There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound. "This means to lose 1 pound, you'll need to walk roughly 35 miles or 70,000 steps.
How many steps should you take a day by age? ›And for adults younger than 60, the risk of premature death stabilizes at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day. This means that adults ages 59 and younger can benefit the most from 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day, and adults ages 60 and older have the most benefits from taking 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day.
Why is my weight loss so slow? ›Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight. When the calories you burn equal the calories you eat, you reach a plateau. To lose more weight, you need to either increase your physical activity or decrease the calories you eat.
How soon can you see results from walking? ›After 3-4 days of walking: you will notice the “better fit” or more room in your clothes! After 7 days of walking: real changes are happening! You have used body fat as energy (fat burning!) Muscles feel more toned!
What's preventing me from losing weight? ›There are some medical conditions that can drive weight gain and make it much harder to lose weight. These include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and sleep apnea. Certain medications can also make weight loss harder — or even cause weight gain.
Why am I gaining weight when I walk everyday? ›When you exercise regularly, your body stores more glycogen to fuel that exercise. Stored in water, glycogen has to bind with water as part of the process to fuel the muscle. That water adds a small amount of weight, too.
Why am I gaining weight since I started walking? ›Walking raises your heart rate and burns calories. However, a slow walk for a short distance does not burn a significant enough number of calories on its own to promote weight loss. If you are gaining weight on your current food and exercise plan, you need to tweak your routines to burn more calories than you consume.
What is the best time to walk to lose weight? ›The ideal time would be in the morning, before having your breakfast. At this time your body is already in a calorie deficit mode, and walking can ignite the body's ability to burn fat.
How much is too much walking? ›
There is no set number of miles that is considered too much (or too little) for all walkers. However, it is wise to start with shorter walks and gradually increase mileage as fitness goals are met.
How much weight can you lose by walking 10 miles a day? ›With that in mind, adding 4 days of walking 10 miles per day with no additional food intake would put you at around 1 pound of weight loss per week, assuming your calorie intake and expenditure were equal before you started your walking program.
Is 20,000 steps a day heavy exercise? ›Is 20,000 steps a day considered active? If you were to walk 20,000 steps a day, you are going to find that this is going to be considered an active lifestyle. In fact, it is often considered to be a very active lifestyle since a lot of people struggle to get to 10,000 steps a day.
How many steps a day to lose weight? ›Yet, a study published in the journal Obesity found that getting 10,000 steps per day, with about 3,500 of those as moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 10 minutes at a time, was found to be associated with enhanced weight loss in a behavioral intervention that included a calorie-restricted diet.
How many calories is a pound? ›If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. And if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity, you lose weight. In the past, research found about 3,500 calories of energy equaled about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat.
Can you do too many steps in a day? ›It is possible to walk too many steps or miles in a day, which can lead to physical and mental symptoms of overtraining and burnout. How many steps or miles per day is too much depends on each individual walker, but your body will tell you you're walking too much with some common signs.
How many miles is 20,000 steps for a woman? ›20,000 steps make about 8.5 miles.
For a woman with an average stride length (2.2 ft), 20,000 steps are 8.326 mi, and for a man with an average step (2.5 ft), it's 9.47 mi.
How many steps is 2 miles? Two miles of walking at a speed of around 3 mph equates to around 4,500 steps. Your step length should be taken into consideration for an accurate conversion.
How many miles does the average person walk a day? ›The average American walks 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, or roughly 1.5 to 2 miles. It's a good idea to find out how many steps a day you walk now, as your own baseline. Then you can work up toward the goal of 10,000 steps by aiming to add 1,000 extra steps a day every two weeks.
How many steps should a woman walk a day? ›The fitness goal of 10,000 steps a day is widely promoted, but a new study suggests that logging even 7,000 daily steps may go a long way toward better health.
What is the average daily steps for a woman? ›
The average number of steps a person takes per day may also vary by sex. The Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise study found that, on average, adult males took about 5,340 steps per day, whereas adult females took around 4,912 steps per day.
How far should you walk to improve your health? ›The study found the biggest protections against most diseases among those who walked close to 10,000 steps a day. For example, the research found that increasing your step count to 10,000 from 6,000 reduces the incidence of diabetes by 56%.
What happens if you walk everyday for a month? ›7 Things That Happened When I Made Myself Go For A Walk Every Single Day For A Month. For a such simple, approachable activity, walking certainly does deliver some remarkable health benefits. Studies show that a daily brisk walk can help lower blood pressure, reduce belly fat, increase energy levels, and improve mood.
Is it better to walk faster or longer? ›In a new study, which looks at activity tracker data from 78,500 people, walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.
Does walking tone your butt? ›Walking is absolutely a great form of exercise, and one that doesn't get a ton of love because it's so chill and easy compared to other forms of exercise, Saltos says. But, rather than building butt muscles, walking can actually make your bum a bit smaller.
How to lose 20 pounds in 3 months by walking? ›If you plan to lose 20 pounds by walking alone, try to burn at least 250 extra calories during your walk per day. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds you'd have to walk at least 40 minutes per day at a pace of 4 miles per hour to lose ½ pound per week.
How many steps to walk to lose 3 pounds a week? ›An hour in the gym (400 to 500 calories) plus 6,000 steps of being active throughout the day (300 calories) plus following the Pritikin Eating Plan (500-calorie deficit) nets you about a three-pound weight loss every week.
How many steps do I need to walk a day to lose 2 pounds a week? ›For healthy, sustainable results, you should aim to shed no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Walking 10,000 steps per day for a week burns roughly enough calories to melt a pound of fat.
Does walking tone your legs? ›Aerobic activity like walking is one of the best exercises to tone legs.
How many steps equal 1 mile? ›You can also estimate steps by knowing that 2,000 steps equals one mile. Measure your progress by the number of steps you are covering each day. Generally speaking you can count on 2,000 steps equaling one mile.
How many steps are in a mile? ›
2,000 steps
An average person has a stride length of approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile and 10,000 steps would be almost 5 miles.
I lost five pounds during my 30-day step challenge, and there's a Canadian guy who dropped 130 pounds (59 kg) while taking 20k steps for a year. Weight loss is all about calories, so use a calorie calculator to monitor your intake during your step challenge if your goal is to shed pounds.
Why am I gaining weight while walking every day? ›When you exercise regularly, your body stores more glycogen to fuel that exercise. Stored in water, glycogen has to bind with water as part of the process to fuel the muscle. That water adds a small amount of weight, too.
What happens if you walk 20,000 steps a day for a month? ›Walking is a physical exercise and also burns calories. If you want to try the 20000 steps a day weight loss, you may expect great results: reduced stomach fat, improved sleep, boosted immune response etc. As good as it sounds, walking 20000 steps a day weight loss has its cons.
How long does it take to see results from walking? ›After 3-4 days of walking: you will notice the “better fit” or more room in your clothes! After 7 days of walking: real changes are happening! You have used body fat as energy (fat burning!) Muscles feel more toned!
Does walk reduce belly fat? ›Walking is a moderate-intensity exercise that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. Simply walking more often can help you lose weight and belly fat, as well as provide other excellent health benefits, including a decreased risk of disease and improved mood.
How many steps a day to lose belly fat? ›People interested in walking for weight loss should consistently hit at least 10,000 steps each day. Some people may even want to increase their total number of steps beyond this amount. However, any steps that a person takes beyond their normal daily step count can help them lose weight.
How much fat does 20,000 steps burn? ›| 2,000 Steps per Mile (Height 6 Feet and Above) Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight | ||
|---|---|---|
| 17,000 | 468 | 740 |
| 18,000 | 495 | 783 |
| 19,000 | 523 | 827 |
| 20,000 | 550 | 870 |
Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.
Does walking a lot change your body shape? ›Walking is particularly effective for toning your legs and bum, she adds. “The muscles you use when walking include your calf muscles, thighs and buttocks, so these areas will become more toned and shapely.” However, walking may not tone all areas of the body.
Can you be skinny with just walking every day? ›
Walking can help you lose weight
If you'd like to lose a substantial amount of weight (more than 5% of your body weight), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting at least 300 minutes of moderately intense physical activity weekly. Walking for 1 hour daily may help you meet that goal ( 3 ).
A 2011 study found that healthy adults can take anywhere between approximately 4,000 and 18,000 steps/day, and that 10,000 steps/day is a reasonable target for healthy adults. The number of steps you aim for in a day should be based on your goals.
How long should you walk to see weight loss results? ›If you are using walking as a tool to help lose weight, Bryant recommends walking for at least 45 minutes per day most days of the week. "The basic recommendations in terms of general health and well being is to just to meet a minimum threshold of about 30 minutes of activity on most days of the week," he said.
How long does it take to start burning fat when walking? ›After about 20 minutes, it starts to use more stored fat than glycogen. Therefore, you'll typically burn the most fat during cardio sessions that last longer than 20 minutes.