Will I Lose Weight Walking 5000 Steps a Day?

Many people think that walking is not as effective as other weight loss exercises. However, it’s not true. Walking can actually play a significant role in reducing weight. 

But the amount of weight you lose depends on the number of steps and the pace at which you walk.

If your walking steps and speed are enough to achieve this, you will lose weight over time.

An average person weighing 160 pounds can burn 40 calories per 1,000 steps.

According to the American Council on Exercise, an average person can burn around 3,500 calories per week by walking 10,000 steps.

However, the number of calories burned from walking depends on many factors such as:

• Bodyweight
• Speed of walking
• Nutrition

Generally, the more you walk at high speed and the healthier you eat, the more weight you will lose.

Yes, walking 5000 steps a day can indeed  help with  weight loss. Walking even 2,500 steps a day will result in weight loss.

Although 5,000 steps are considered less active compared to 10,000 steps, it can still create the calorie deficit required to achieve weight loss. You will definitely burn the fat, but at a slower pace.

• Walking 5,000 steps a day can help you lose half a pound per week.
• Walking 10,000 steps can help you lose one pound per week.

The number of calories burned may vary depending on factors such as gender, weight, height, speed of walking, etc.

On average, a male weighing 70 kg can burn about 210 calories by walking 5,000 steps in 30 minutes.

Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight (2400 steps per mile, Height 5’5 and under) 

Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight (2200 steps per mile, Height 5’6 TO 5’11)

A study conducted in 2011 revealed that healthy adults can easily take between 4,000-18,000 steps per day. Walking 5,000 steps a day is a more realistic goal compared to 10,000 steps.

Although walking 10,000 steps a day is considered a magic number for getting fit, it may not be enough  to cause weight loss if you are not walking fast enough.

People who set 10,000 steps as a target goal will often walk at a lower intensity to reach their goal. However, people who set a lower target goal, i.e. 5000 steps a day mostly do it at a higher intensity.

Ideally, walking at moderate to high intensity works better in burning fat and improving overall health.

Generally one mile takes 15-20 minutes to complete and includes 2,000 steps. Hence, completing 5,000 steps roughly requires 45 minutes to complete.

You can cover 100 steps per minute if you are walking at a moderate or higher intensity. In this way, you could cover 1,000 steps in just 10 minutes.

It has been found that a person briskly walking only for 30 minutes can burn 100 to 200 calories depending on the body weight. And a 30 – 45 minute brisk walk roughly equals 3,000 - 5,000 steps.

The following steps can help you burn fat effectively even with only 5,000 steps.

If you want to burn more calories with 5000 steps a day, it’s important to calculate your heart rate first to find the appropriate walking speed. It will help you know whether the  intensity of your pace is high enough to reach the fat-burning  zone or not.

According to a study, losing weight requires you to work at 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.

• To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.
• Another easy way is to use a heart monitor with an activity

To encourage  weight loss through walking, it is important to work on strength and resistance training as well. However, this does not necessarily require working out at  a gym and lifting heavy weights.

This  can be done  at home by practicing  burpees, push-ups or squats, etc. Such training can help improve your metabolic rate and burn more calories in less time.

• Try doing resistance training at least twice a week to achieve better results.

Eating responsibly combined with walking is essential for losing weight.  Walking only  leads to weight loss if  you eat healthily. So, make sure to consume  the proper number of calories as it can affect whether you will be able to safely create a calorie deficit or not.

Taking even one high-calorie  meal can cancel out the number of calories you have burned from walking. Hence, limit intake of food  rich in fats and carbohydrates. Instead, consume a greater percentage of whole grains and plant-based  food.

Instead of doing one long walk to complete 5,000 steps, try doing 2-3 shorter walks a day. It will help you complete your daily target without being exhausted. Try walking 1,000 steps after every 1-2 hours.

Including  slight variations in your daily lifestyle can help you walk more each day. Start with making small changes such as:

• Take stairs instead of elevator
• Walk while talking on the phone
• Take evening strolls to the grocery stores
• Try to walk to your workplace etc.

Don’t get distracted by anything and stick to your routine. Consistency is the key to reaching any goal.

Always keep a pedometer with you to keep a track of your steps. It helps to know where you stand and how much more you need to walk to meet your daily target.

Walking 5,000 steps a day can help you reduce weight, but make sure to adopt the right intensity and healthy diet to achieve better results. Moreover, decide the required number of steps depending on your target goal and how much weight you want to lose in how much time. If your goal is to shed extra pounds over a longer duration , then 5,000 steps a day is a good target to follow. However, if you need to burn more calories in a short time, go for 10,000 steps at least.