How Many Steps a Day to Lose Weight?
Aim for 10,000 steps or more a day, the daily target for healthy adults, and for weight loss include about 4,300 to 5,700 brisk steps a day as part of your total. Steps help most alongside a healthy diet: physical activity on its own has little effect on weight unless eating changes too.
This is general information, not medical advice. Weight loss varies between individuals, and the step counts on this page are a guide, not a promise of a result.
The Honest Number
No step count can promise weight loss. The Australian guidance for weight loss is written in minutes, not steps:
For health: at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, on most days.
For weight loss: Australia's clinical guidelines for adults above a healthy weight pair a reduced food intake with about 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 150 minutes of vigorous activity. The Better Health Channel makes the same point: to lose weight, you will need to be active for longer than 30 minutes a day.
Thirty minutes of walking is around 3,000 to 4,000 steps. Spread over 7 days, that is about 43 minutes a day, or roughly 4,300 to 5,700 brisk steps a day as part of your total. That is where the figures in this guide come from.
Steps a Day by Goal
This table turns the guidelines into daily step goals. Start at the row that matches you now and work down.
| Goal | Steps a day | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Starting from very little | Your usual count plus 1,000 to 2,000 | 10,000 Steps program |
| Leave the sedentary band | 5,000 or more | 10,000 Steps program |
| 30 minutes of walking | About 3,000 to 4,000 | healthdirect |
| Daily target for healthy adults | 10,000 or more | 10,000 Steps, Better Health |
| Support weight loss, with diet | About 4,300 to 5,700 brisk | NHMRC 300 minutes a week |
The last row is arithmetic from the 300-minute figure, not a separate guideline, and results vary between individuals.
Where does your day sit now?
The 10,000 Steps program, funded by the Queensland and South Australian governments, uses these bands for adults:
| Steps a day | Activity level |
|---|---|
| Under 5,000 | Sedentary |
| 5,000 to 7,499 | Low active |
| 7,500 to 9,999 | Somewhat active |
| More than 10,000 | Active |
| More than 12,500 | Highly active |
The bands are quoted as the program words them, so the top two overlap. The same program notes that 10,000 may not be the right goal for some groups, such as older people and children, and that your own goal should build from your current activity level.
Why Steps Alone May Not Move the Scale
Walking uses energy, and more walking uses more. But Australia's clinical guidelines for overweight and obesity found that physical activity has little effect on weight unless it is combined with dietary change.
That does not make walking wasted effort. Regular walking can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, help manage blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve your mental health. It also becomes more useful for weight when it comes with a healthy diet:
build meals around vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean meat, fish, eggs or legumes, and reduced-fat dairy, in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines
cut back on sugary drinks, alcohol and takeaway
watch portion sizes, especially of energy-dense foods
For the eating side of the gap, see our guide to working out your calories and macros for weight loss.
What Pace Should You Walk At?
Brisk is the aim: you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly. Walking at a brisk pace burns more kilojoules an hour than walking slowly, but there is no need to push until you are breathless. Over a set distance, walking and running use about the same energy for most people; walking just takes longer.
As your fitness improves, the body gets used to the effort, so step it up by:
adding hills or stairs
including short stretches of faster walking
walking a longer distance before slowing to a moderate pace
walking for longer
Add muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week as well, as Australia's physical activity guidelines recommend.
How to Add Steps to a Normal Day
Spreading steps through the day can be easier than trying to do them all in one session:
Break it up: take 3 walks of 10 minutes each if 30 minutes at once is too much, and build up from there.
Commute: get off public transport one stop early, or park a little further from where you are going.
Errands: walk to the local shops and back instead of driving.
At work: take the stairs instead of the lift, stand while you work for part of the day, and break up long periods of sitting.
Social time: meet a friend for a walk instead of a coffee.
Routine: walk at the same time each day. You use the same amount of energy whatever time you walk, so pick the time that suits you.
Company: walk with someone, or with a dog, to make it a regular habit.
For more ideas that fit around work and family, see our guide to everyday habits that support weight loss.
A staged example building to the goal
This example starts from about 5,000 steps a day and adds brisk walking in stages. It is a general example, not a plan set for any one person.
| Stage | Brisk walking to add |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 3 walks of 10 minutes on most days |
| Stage 2 | 30 minutes in one or two walks, most days |
| Stage 3 | 35 to 40 minutes, most days |
| Stage 4 | About 43 minutes a day, or 300 minutes a week |
Move to the next stage only when the current one feels comfortable, and go at your own pace.
Tracking Your Steps
You do not need an expensive device. A pedometer is very accurate when worn correctly, and most smartphones and wrist-worn trackers count steps. A phone can be less accurate if it is not in your hip pocket. Compare your count with other days, and track progress in more than one way: to see weight change as a share of your starting weight, use our guide on how to calculate your weight loss percentage.
As for what the scale may show, the Better Health Channel describes a gradual loss of around 1 to 4 kg a month to begin with. See how much weight you can realistically lose in a month.
Before You Start
Moderate walking poses little health risk for most people. Check with your doctor first if you have a medical condition or have recently had surgery, and before starting a higher-intensity program if you are over 40, living with overweight or have not exercised for a long time. Warm up by walking slowly for the first few minutes, wear comfortable shoes that fit well, and carry water. If you feel chest discomfort or tightness, shortness of breath or dizziness while walking, stop, rest and get help.
When You Need More Support
If you are struggling to lose weight with diet and exercise, a doctor or nurse practitioner can talk you through other treatments that may help. For some adults living with obesity, these can include medical weight loss treatment, which is used together with a healthy diet and physical activity, not instead of them. Whether any treatment is appropriate is a decision for a registered healthcare practitioner after an individual assessment, and outcomes vary between individuals. See whether diet and exercise alone are enough and what happens at a weight loss consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many steps are in 30 minutes of walking?
About 3,000 to 4,000 steps, according to healthdirect and the 10,000 Steps program. That covers the Australian recommendation of at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days. If 30 minutes in one go is too much, three 10-minute walks count too. A pedometer or phone gives your own figure, which you can compare from day to day.
How many times a week should I walk to lose weight?
Walk on most days of the week. For adults above a healthy weight, Australian clinical guidelines pair a reduced food intake with about 300 minutes of moderate activity a week. Build up to that gradually, and add muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.
Is 500 steps a day OK?
No, 500 steps is very low. Under 5,000 steps a day is classed as sedentary in the 10,000 Steps program. If you are at 500 now because of a health condition or recent surgery, ask your doctor when to start walking and how much to do. Otherwise, add 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day and build from there.
Can you lose belly fat just by walking?
Walking can reduce body fat, and it works best alongside a healthy diet. Make it regular and brisk, and measure your waist as well as your weight. A waist of 94 cm or more for males, or 80 cm or more for females who are not pregnant, carries a higher health risk.
Is 5 kg in a month realistic by walking?
For most people, not from walking alone. Australian guidance describes a gradual loss of around 1 to 4 kg a month to begin with, and walking works best alongside a healthy diet. Rates of weight loss vary widely between individuals. Regular walking plus changes to eating is a more realistic plan than a set number of kilos.
How many steps a day does it take to lose a set amount of weight?
There is no reliable step count for a set number of kilos. Energy used by walking depends mostly on how far you go, and weight loss depends on what you eat as well. A practical guide is to build toward 10,000 steps a day, with brisk walking on most days, alongside a healthy diet.
References
10,000 Steps (funded by the Queensland and South Australian governments). Counting your steps.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Walking for good health.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight management services.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight loss: common myths.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.