A simple exercise most people can do for free can burn hundreds of calories every day – rapidly adding to weight loss, according to a fitness coach. John Schaefer too to TikTok to explain just how much weight you can shift with the low-impact exercise.
He said: “By far one of the easiest ways to increase the rate at which you lose weight is to start walking more. The goal is 10,000 steps a day – it’s about four-and-a-half miles. It’s not a hard number, but it gives you something to shoot for.
“It is the sneakiest form of fat loss. If you hit 10,000 steps a day for 100 days that’s a million steps. For an average person, you burn about 100 calories per mile walk… Not only does that help you on a daily basis, but adds up to incredible calorific burn over time.”
Studies have confirmed that 10,000 steps can significantly benefit your health and support weight loss – even if it isn’t as vigorous as running on a treadmill. A University of Southern Denmark-led project claimed that just 9,800 daily steps can cut your risk of dementia, after analysing the data of 78,430 people in the UK.
According to the NHS, most people currently manage around 3,000 to 4,000 steps every 24 hours. John said: “It’s good for the mind, good for muscle soreness. Walk your dog, catch up on phone calls with a friend – it’s a super easy way to make permanent fat loss a reality.”
Many users claimed they’d had success with the technique. One wrote: “I lost 12kg in three months with a calorie deficit and just walking, I agree!”, as another added: “Especially if you do a fasted walk!”
The NHS says even a brisk 10-minute walk can make all the difference if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands. “Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier,” its advice reads.
“You do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your 150 minutes of weekly exercise.”
According to StepsApp, most people burn 30 to 40 calories for every 1,000 steps walked – so up to 400 for a 10,000-step walk., The precise number will depend on your age, weight, sex and the pace of your walk. Healthline explains that a 205lb person walking at 4mph would burn three times as any calories as a 130lb person walking at 2mph.
And walking uphill could boost your calorie burn by 50% compared to walking on a level surface.