You may have heard that walking 10,000 steps is a good daily goal to stay healthy. But experts say that number is not necessarily based on scientific evidence - it originated as a marketing gimmick. Don’t be mistaken. People who walk 10,000 steps a day are typically healthier than people who don’t walk much at all. But you don’t have to get 10,000 steps to reap the health benefits of walking. While many aim for 10,000 steps a day, recent studies suggest that just 6,000 steps per day can still offer impressive health benefits-especially for adults over 40. So, allow us to reacquaint you with what many consider to be the original form of exercise: walking. Not only is it a low-cost way to keep active, but it's also packed full of benefits for weight loss and your overall health.
How Walking Helps With Weight Loss
The basic recipe for weight loss is to start burning more calories than you consume. For most people, that means changing their diet to help cut down on calories, as well as increasing their energy expenditure through exercise. Walking is a great low-impact exercise that is accessible to almost everyone. There’s no special equipment required, no gym memberships to pay for, and it is safe at any age. Walking is not only an effective way to lose weight but is also highly underrated in its fat-burning capabilities. Its simplicity and versatility make it a convenient form of physical activity that can be incorporated into any lifestyle.
The 6-6-6 Walking Rule
The 6-6-6 Walking Rule-6,000 steps, 60 minutes, 6 days a week-is your minimalist guide to better heart health, metabolism, and mental clarity. It doesn’t demand fancy equipment or a gym membership-just your time and commitment.
6,000 Steps a Day - For Heart Health
While many aim for 10,000 steps a day, recent studies suggest that just 6,000 steps per day can still offer impressive health benefits-especially for adults over 40. According to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, walking 6,000 to 8,000 steps daily significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and all-cause mortality.Pro Tip: Start with a 3,000-step morning walk and a 3,000-step evening stroll. Use a fitness band or smartphone app to track steps.
60 Minutes of Walking - Build Stamina and Burn Calories
You don’t need to power through an intense gym session to see results. Walking for 60 minutes can be broken into manageable chunks throughout the day. Whether it’s 20 minutes in the morning, 20 at lunch, and 20 after dinner-it all adds up. You burn calories, relieve stress, and give your mind a much-needed reset.Calories burned:Light pace: ~200-250 cal/hourBrisk pace: ~300-350 cal/hourNutrition Bonus: Pair this habit with light meals rich in fiber and protein (e.g., moong dal, boiled eggs, or oats) to boost satiety and fat burning.
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6 Days a Week - Make It a Routine
Consistency is key. Committing to 6 days a week helps you build a sustainable fitness habit while still giving your body one day to rest and recover. Unlike high-intensity workouts, walking is gentle on the joints, making it ideal for daily movement without overexertion.Habit Hack: Set a reminder. Walk after meals or during phone calls. Turn your walk into podcast or audiobook time.
Health Benefits of the 6-6-6 Walking Routine
Regular walking provides a plethora of health benefits, including:
- Boosts Cardiovascular Health: Regular walking reduces blood pressure, cholesterol, and the risk of stroke.
- Enhances Insulin Sensitivity: Walking post-meals helps regulate blood glucose, especially in diabetics and those with PCOS.
- Supports Weight Loss: A 60-minute walk can burn 250-350 calories, depending on your pace. Combined with a high-fiber, protein-rich diet, it’s a powerful weight loss tool.
- Improves Gut Health: Post-meal walks enhance peristalsis (gut movement), reducing bloating and constipation.
- Boosts Mental Clarity: Walking improves oxygen supply to the brain, helping reduce brain fog and enhance mood.
- Improves Bone and Joint Health: Low-impact walking reduces joint stiffness and enhances mobility, especially important for women over 30.
The Many Health Benefits of Walking
Losing weight may be one top benefit of your daily walk, but there’s so much more it can offer you - walking is recognised as a physical activity that can help you live longer. In fact, research shows that in Blue Zones, where it is common to live to over 100 years old, older adults are more likely to walk throughout the day which is believed to play an important role in their longevity. Plus, studies have shown other physical and mental health benefits to walking too, such as:
- Stronger bones
- Improved creativity
- Better sleep
- Reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes
- Stress management
- Improved mood
- Improved glucose sensitivity and blood sugar levels
- Controlled blood pressure
How Many Steps a Day Should You Walk to Lose Weight?
Like we said earlier, the key to losing weight is fewer calories in, more calories burned - also known as a calorie deficit. While 10,000 steps should burn plenty of calories, it’s not a reasonable target for everyone. It depends a lot on what your daily activity levels look like. There are 3 basic categories to know:
- A sedentary lifestyle is less than 5,000 steps a day
- A low active lifestyle is 5,000-7,500 steps a day
- An active lifestyle is 10,000 or more steps a day
The average person takes around 7,000 steps on a typical day. By adding an extra 30-minute walk, they can push this to 10,000 steps and enjoy an active lifestyle. But, let’s say your usual step count is around 3,000 steps per day. By adding in a 30-minute walk, you can push that to around 7,000 and still reach your fitness goals. Being realistic about your current fitness level makes it more likely that you'll stick to your new habit. And yes, it is possible to lose weight in less than 10,000 steps a day.
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Walking for Weight Loss: Does 6,000 Steps Help?
Yes! While 6,000 steps may not burn as many calories as high-intensity workouts, when paired with a healthy diet, you can absolutely lose weight. A person weighing around 150 pounds can burn approximately 240-300 calories in a 60-minute walk. That adds up over time-especially when done 6 days a week.
Start with a Goal
Use a step counter, smartphone app, or fitness tracker to monitor your progress. Aim for 6,000 steps or 60 minutes, whichever comes first. Block out walking time just like any appointment. Early mornings, lunch breaks, or after dinner-choose what works best for you. Listen to podcasts, call a friend, or explore new neighborhoods. Walking doesn’t have to be boring. Comfortable shoes with good support and hydration will help prevent injury and fatigue. Celebrate milestones. Whether it’s walking a longer distance, losing weight, or just feeling better, small wins keep you motivated.
How to Get the Health Benefits of Walking
On average, people in the United States walk between 4,000 and 5,000 steps daily. Less than 4,000 steps is considered a low level of activity. If you get less than 2,000 steps daily, your lifestyle is sedentary or inactive. If you do live a sedentary lifestyle now, you can add steps to your day to improve your health. Start by assessing how much you walk each day and slowly build upon that number. Wearable technology offers a great way to increase your steps and motivation. If it helps to have a goal in mind, researchers have studied how the steps you take may affect specific health risks and benefits.
Decrease Your Risk of Dying from All Causes
Taking just 2,500 steps a day can significantly reduce your risk of dying from all causes. But taking more steps can increase the benefit. One study reported that people who took 8,000 steps daily were 50% less likely to die (compared to people who got 4,000 steps) during the nine years following the study. How quickly they walked had no impact on the findings. After a certain number of steps, the risk reduction does level off. Multiple studies suggest that the benefit plateaus at different step levels depending on your age:Adults 60 and older: Risk reduction increases until 6,000 to 8,000 steps.Adults younger than 60: The benefit plateaus after 8,000 to 10,000 steps.
Manage Weight
The amount of weight you lose from walking depends on how much energy you use as you exercise. You either need to walk for longer or at a higher intensity for greater weight loss. But if you are looking for more specific guidance, researchers found that people who lose more than 10% of their body weight over 18 months walk approximately 10,000 steps a day. They walked at least 3,500 of those steps at moderate-to-vigorous intensity in short, 10-minute bursts. What does that mean for you? You would need to walk 3 miles per hour (moderate intensity) for approximately 35 minutes daily in 10-minute spurts. Plus, you’d have to get an additional 6,500 steps throughout your day.
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Lower Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Walking is excellent for your heart. It can decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease and even help prevent a cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart failure. To see a benefit, the sweet spot lies between 2,800 and 7,100 steps. Depending on how many steps you take, the benefit can be substantial. The American Heart Association reports that older adults who take 4,500 steps per day have a 77% lower risk of having an adverse cardiovascular event than people who take fewer than 2,000 steps. Each time you add 500 steps to your daily average, you incrementally lower your risk by 14%. Remember, the benefit plateaus between 6,000 and 8,000 steps.
Prevent Dementia
Walking is good for your mind in many ways, and preserving your cognitive function is one of them. The more steps you take each day, the more your dementia risk declines. Once you hit 9,800 steps, the benefit plateaus. The good news is that you’ll begin seeing significant benefits at just 3,800 steps daily. Getting that many steps consistently may lower your dementia risk by 50% over time.
Protect Yourself from Chronic Disease
Walking is part of a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy lifestyle naturally reduces your risk for chronic diseases. But research specifically shows that higher daily step counts are associated with a lower risk for:
- Diabetes
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Obesity
- Sleep apnea
According to the American Diabetes Association, walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can significantly lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Whether you walk it all at once or split it into smaller walks doesn’t matter. Exercise such as walking increases insulin sensitivity and helps lower your blood sugar. Walking for 30 minutes at a “very brisk” pace (around 3.5-4 miles per hour) will equal about 2 miles or roughly 4,000 steps. Walking for 60 minutes at the above pace means you will walk about 4 miles or roughly 8,000 steps.
Ward Off Depression
A short burst (10 minutes) of brisk walking can increase your energy, mood and mental alertness. But you can also use walking to significantly lower your risk for depression. According to the American Psychological Association, people who walk at a moderate pace for 75 minutes weekly have an 18% lower depression risk than people who don’t get any physical activity. Walk for 120 minutes weekly to lower your risk by 25%. For a bonus, take your walk off the beaten path. A one-hour walk in nature (without being on your phone) has a more significant effect on the stress-related regions of your brain than walking in an urban environment.
Does It Matter When You Walk?
If you can sneak in a walk after meals, it may provide an added boost to your health goals. A 2022 study suggests that walking for two minutes after eating has more significant health benefits than sitting or standing after the meal. A short walk can help you manage blood sugar and avoid spikes in blood glucose levels. Remember, any walking is always better than not walking at all.
Tips to Help You Increase Your Daily Step Count
Going outside or using a treadmill for a 30-60 minute walk is a great way to get the recommended amount of exercise for health and weight loss. But sometimes that may not be doable. Thankfully, there are other ways to increase your step count that won’t take up a huge chunk of time. Here are some ideas on how to easily increase your daily step count:
- Take the stairs whenever possible. This could be at work, at the airport, at the doctor's office - or at home! You can ditch the elevator to get more steps or simply take a 2-3 minute work break to walk up/down the stairs at home.
- Park farther away when going to the store. Finding a parking spot that is further away from the store or location you are going to is an easy way to add in an additional 20-30 steps (one way) or more!
- Walk, don’t drive! If you live close to your destination, consider leaving the car at home and walking to your destination. If you are meeting friends, suggest parking farther away and walking together to the restaurant or meeting spot you plan to go to.
- Walk and talk. Take your phone calls on the move and walk as you talk on the phone. This can be phone calls with loved ones or phone calls for work. You will be surprised how many steps you obtain by pacing around the house or taking the call during a walk outside.
- Walk while you wait. There’s so many minutes and hours spent waiting for different things, like your coffee order, doctor's appointment, or for a flight. Take the additional waiting time to walk around. You can check out some stores nearby or walk around the building (just don’t wander too far!).
- Look for easy walking opportunities Making time for a 30-minute walk sounds easy, but on those busy days, it can be very hard. A better approach is finding lots of little moments throughout your day to get more steps in.
- Build a walking routine On most days, you probably eat, shower, work, and relax at the same time. All of these things happen naturally because they form part of your routine. Making exercise a part of your regular routine helps it become a natural part of your day.