Steps v. calories?

nxd10
nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
This is a weird question, but it's bugging me.

My husband and I both have fitbit zips. He's a little taller than me but has short legs. When we walk together, he walks 4 steps for my 3. Obviously he gets more steps per day, even if we walk the same distance (I've calibrated my fitbit).

Does he actually burn more calories? (Let's assume for a moment we're the same weight.)

Replies

  • khowlett1
    khowlett1 Posts: 41 Member
    in for the responses, curious too! Also, I did not realize you needed to calibrate the Fitbit, i bought mine used from a friend... wonder if I need to do this... Google... here i come !
  • GothyFaery
    GothyFaery Posts: 762 Member
    I'm just taking a mathmatical guess here but if you two were both the same weight, I would say he would burn more walking the same distance because he is taking more steps than you are. Just seems like common math sense to me, but I could be way wrong.
  • kjflaherty
    kjflaherty Posts: 27 Member
    I think he will burn more calories based on the fact that he's a man. I dont know if its because of the steps or not.
  • Jenny8511
    Jenny8511 Posts: 141 Member
    My husband is a lot taller than I am (over a foot!) and for us to walk the same distance together, I have to speed walk to keep up with him. Before I lost weight, it was fast enough to get my heart pumping. So I would say yes he would burn a little more since he is moving his legs a little faster than you are. At least that's what I think!
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
    Logically that would mean he takes smaller steps than you. He probably burns more calories because he's a man, and I would think the more steps you take, even if smaller, the more calories you burn. Shouldn't be by a lot though.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    I have to take a relatively short stride most of the time due to arthritis in my hip. When I walk on a treadmill, my Fitbit gives me more calories burned than the machine shows for that speed because I'm taking more steps.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I think he will burn more calories based on the fact that he's a man. I dont know if its because of the steps or not.

    This^...........men burn more than women (muscle mass %). This is one reason treadmills can be so off.....they "assume" male of you don't enter anything.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I wasn't interested in the maleness, just the steps. And he does burn way more than me just because he weighs 80 pounds more. And, under all that bacon, he is muscle muscle muscle (he teaches tai chi).

    Maybe I'll take smaller steps (not really). I walk very fast with long strides - as do my kids. It just seems so unfair that we walk the same distance and he gets so much more credit for it!

    Life is just unfair. It's the way of it. :tongue:
  • nathalier71
    nathalier71 Posts: 570 Member
    I say no because men's metabolism are different than women. My husband and I both have fitbits - I have longer legs than him so I always get less steps than he does - makes me mad =)

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