Trying to lose weight? Scientists just revealed the exact number of steps you should do - and it’s fewer than 10,000
The study looked at how many steps participants took to lose weight and how many to help keep it off
With the rising use of GLP-1 medication, it can seem like losing weight has never been easier for those who want to. But for those who want to do it naturally, the same difficulty of keeping lost weight off remains.
There are many reasons why weight loss may plateau or stop after a while, like old lifestyle habits re-emerging and busier days not allowing time for home cooking. However, new findings have found that the simplest goals - like a quick walking workout to boost your step count - can make all the difference.
A systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers in Italy and Lebanon, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, looked at the relationship between walking and weight management. The scientists examined 18 previous trials involving overweight or obese participants who were either dieting and exercising on their own, or as part of a lifestyle modification (LSM) programme. This involved nutrition and exercise advice, including walking and reaching a certain number of daily steps.
Both groups walked around 7,200 steps at the start of the trials. A control group didn’t increase their step count or lose weight.
Researchers found that the group who followed an LSM programme and increased their daily steps to around 8,454 by the end of their weight loss journey lost an average of 4.39% of their starting weight - around 4kg.
After losing the weight, the LSM group entered the maintenance phase, with the sole aim of keeping the weight off. They kept up their step count, walking an average of 8,241 steps, keeping off most of the weight they lost, with an average weight loss of 3kg.
One of the authors of the study, Professor Marwan El Ghoch, from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, says: "The most important - and greatest - challenge when treating obesity is preventing weight regain. Around 80% of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight tend to put some or all of it back on again within three to five years. The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value."
There are other factors that play a role in sustainable weight loss and gain, such as a person’s diet, mental health, and lifestyle. But these results are further evidence that the simplest lifestyle habits can make all the difference.
While a 10,000-step figure is a great goal to aim for, it's largely debunked, with other studies finding that at least 7,000 steps is enough to see long-term health benefits. This study also shows that many people can do less than this and lose weight, and keep it off.
You can record your steps using a fitness tracker like an Apple Watch or Fitbit. These record your step count for the day as well as other health metrics, like your live heart rate, workout achievements, sleep quality and duration, and stress levels.
Prof Ghoch adds: "Participants should be always encouraged to increase their step count to approximately 8,500 a day during the weight loss phase and sustain this level of physical activity during the maintenance phase to help prevent them from regaining weight. Increasing the number of steps walked to 8,500 each day is a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain."
How to increase your step count
- Walk from home: Walking around your home can make a huge difference to your step count. Try an indoor walking workout, pick yourself up a walking pad, and you'll find you get 10,000 steps in at home easily.
- Reduce sitting time: Need to take a phone call or a virtual meeting? Can you do it on the move? Simply walking around your local park or even your garden while distracted helps notch those steps up.
- Change your commute: If you can skip the bus to the train station and add in a short walk instead, that'll increase your step count. The same goes for taking the stairs in the office instead of the lift, and picking a lunch spot further away from your desk.
- Go for an after-dinner walk: Get your step count up and aid your digestion by going for an evening stroll now that it's lighter later in the day.
- Walk with a friend: If you find walking boring, making exercise a social activity will be a distraction, so organise a regular time for an on-the-go catch-up with a friend.
