How many steps/miles should I walk per day

Tigermum9
Tigermum9 Posts: 546 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
to make a difference? I want to lose approx 80lb...

Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Calorie deficit=weight loss
    Exercise=fitness
  • Seeds45
    Seeds45 Posts: 90
    They, (who ever they are), say 10,000 per day. Steps, NOT miles!!
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Nomeejerome is correct.

    calorie deficit = weight loss
    exercise = fitness/health

    Although 10,000 steps is recommended based on some studies done years ago that suggested that it improved your health. It comes to about 5 miles. That being said, you don't have to walk 10,000 steps a day to lose weight. Start out slowly and gradually increase how much your walking. The whole 10,000 steps thing isn't set in stone. Example:

    if you walk 2000 steps a day...then try to increase that to 3000
    once at 3000 steps a day... try to increase to 4000
    etc.....

    Every little bit helps.
  • Tigermum9
    Tigermum9 Posts: 546 Member
    Yeah, like trying to beat my own score? lol x I can do that thank you xx
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    See how many steps you do on a normal day. Add some to that for your goal. be realistic about your goal & don't set yourself up for failure. You can add 250 steps at a time, 500 steps, 1000 steps.

    Make sure you hit your goal every day & you can increase the next week based on the previous week's goal or on your average for the week. If you find you are doing well increase by more than you had planned. I've done that before.

    I highly recommend weight training and high intensity cardio as the main forms of exercise with steps added in addition.
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
    There was a post on this exact topic a few days ago & I was going to link to it, but now I can't find it.

    Either way, I don't think there's a specific amount of steps that are going to 'make you' lose weight. Losing weight is more about calorie deficit, but moving is good, no matter how much you're moving. I have a Fitbit and it recommended 10,000 steps. I personally don't hit that on a daily basis, & changed my goal to 5,000 instead. I normally get around 6,000 steps from walking to & from class & walking around campus while I'm there. If it's a nice day [& it often isn't in Western Oregon] I try to take advantage & go on a walk after class as well.

    If you don't already have one, a pedometer might be a good investment, and you'd be able to see how you are improving. There is a full range on the market - inexpensive ones that only tracks steps, or more pricey ones that track a bunch of other stuff in addition to steps.
  • Tigermum9
    Tigermum9 Posts: 546 Member
    I have a fitbit...but been feeling so unwell lately have avoided exercise so gonna try to work my way up!
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    You'll want to walk as many steps as it takes to create a calorie deficit. If you eat more one day, you'll do more steps. If you eat less, you'll do fewer steps. You'll have to figure out how fast you walk and you'll have to track your calories.

    The exercise tracker and food tracker can help you with this immensely. In fact, that's exactly what it's there for.
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
    What I found was losing weight is much easier reducing calories than increasing exercise. That said, I did both. I started out doing a half mile everyday in 10 minutes {3mph} As I lost weight, and got more used to walking, I increased the speed and distance. Now that I have lost sixty pounds, I try to walk 10 minutes @ 5mph, 15 @ 4.5mph, 20 @ 4mph and 25 @ 3.5 mph. It does take a lot of time, but I can do my walking at work. Getting paid for it always makes working out easier.
    Just keep below your calorie goal and doing some exercise, and the loss will come. Good luck.

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