Research Finds 8,500 Daily Steps Help Maintain Weight Loss

A review of multiple studies has found that an average of 8,500 steps per day can help maintain weight loss after dieting. The findings are being presented at the European Congress on Obesity, scheduled for May 12-15. The review, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, examined participants in weight loss programs followed by a weight maintenance phase.

One group followed a program that included lifestyle changes such as diet modifications and increased daily steps. A control group received no treatment plan. Participants' step counts were measured at the end of the weight loss phase, which averaged around eight months, and again after the weight maintenance phase, which averaged 10 months.

Both groups started the trials at around 7,200 steps per day. The control group did not increase its step count and did not lose weight. The lifestyle changes group raised its daily steps to 8,454 and lost an average of 4.4 percent of body weight by the end of the weight loss period.

The lifestyle changes group maintained an average of 8,241 steps daily during the weight maintenance phase and kept most of the weight off. The review identified a strong connection between higher step counts and preventing weight regain, particularly when steps were increased during the initial weight loss period.

However, the researchers reported that taking more steps did not necessarily result in additional pounds lost. They stated that factors such as maintaining a calorie deficit play a more important role in weight loss. The review also noted that combining walking with strength training can help build muscle and increase calorie burn.

Walking is described as one of the most accessible forms of physical activity.

Origins of the 10,000-Step Goal The commonly cited target of 10,000 steps per day was not originally developed for health purposes. It originated as part of a 1960s marketing campaign in Japan to promote pedometers. A press release quoted in the reporting stated that increasing to 8,500 steps per day represents a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain after dieting.

The research indicated that increased step counts as part of broader lifestyle changes support achieving and sustaining a healthier weight over time. Getting steps in daily has been shown to improve posture, joint health, mood and body mass index.