Article content
Maybe you’ve heard the saying that to lose weight by walking alone you must walk at least 10 000 steps a day. Well, that’s not quite true. How many calories you burn by walking depends on how much you weigh and also on the terrain you’re walking on. Walking uphill will burn more calories than walking on level ground or downhill. A simple device – a pedometer – can help you with counting steps.
Pedometers and weight loss
There are quite a lot of pedometers on the market today. They are also available across a wide range of price points. This is due to how sensitive pedometers are and the additional features they provide (heart rate measurement, amount of calories burned, etc.). A pedometer is particularly useful for losing weight. You should wear it around your hips. If you know how many steps you take each day, you’ll know how long it will take to burn more calories.
How many steps do you need to take to lose weight?
For most people, walking one kilometer burns about 100 calories. About 2000 steps correspond to one kilometer. A pedometer will track your steps and note how many kilometers you walk per day. You don’t really need to know anything else. Just walk a sufficient number of steps each day to start losing weight.
- 1 km = 2 000 steps and 100 calories burned.
- 1 kg – 3 500 calories.
- To lose 1 kg of weight per week = 500 calories per day.
- To lose 1 kg in one week, you will need to walk 10 000 steps per day.
How to walk more steps each day
If you know you won’t reach the required number of steps in a day, try the following tricks that will help you add a few steps each day. For example, you don’t always have to use a car or bus for short distances. If you take the bus, get off one or two stops earlier. If you drive, try parking a little farther from your destination and walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk with your children; accompany them to school. A good motivation is investing in a more advanced pedometer that will show you how many kilograms you’ve lost with your added steps.
How to make walking interesting
Daily walks in the same places are boring. So change your routes. You can also listen to music to help you sustain longer walks. If you walk with someone else, you’ll be less likely to get bored.
