In the 1990s and early 21st century, the proportion of the U.S. population struggling with obesity wildly increased. The rise in obesity rates is strongly linked to increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Physical activity, combined with a controlled diet, is considered an effective and permanent method of weight loss. Medical professionals commonly advocate walking a certain number of steps, or a certain distance, daily in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Steps and Distance
As at February 2011, a goal of 10,000 steps daily is considered to be a good level of physical activity for overall physical health and weight management. The distance you will travel in 10,000 steps varies according to your height and stride length, but on average, will equate to traveling a distance of approximately 5 miles or 8 km. This distance includes going for a walk or working out on a treadmill along with the steps you take around your house, workplace and other locations.
Weight Loss
In order to lose weight, you will need to create a calorie deficit through a combination of exercise and controlled food intake. Your body needs a certain number of calories daily in order to maintain a steady weight -- this number varies according to your height, gender and current weight.
A 20-year-old, 6-foot-tall male weighing 200 lbs. requires 2,500 calories daily to maintain his weight without exercise. Walking 5 miles daily at a very brisk pace of 4 mph, this man would burn around 455 calories through taking 10,000 steps. If he consumed no more than 2,500 calories daily, walking would create a deficit of 3,185 calories every seven days, translating to a loss of just under 1 lb. per week.
Variables
The number of calories burned by walking -- or any type of exercise -- will vary from one person to the next. If you are heavier, your daily calories required for maintenance and also the number of calories you burn by walking will be higher than for a lighter person. Therefore, 10,000 steps daily will create a more significant calorie deficit when you weigh 200 lbs. than when you weigh 150 lbs. This means the same amount of exercise will cause you to lose more weight when you are heavier than when you are lighter.
Measurement
Measuring the number of steps you take in a day is best achieved with a pedometer device. Many cell phones and portable music players commonly contain a step-counting application if you do not want to wear or carry a separate pedometer. A pedometer will count the steps you take incidentally in your daily routine, as well as those steps you take when deliberately exercising for weight loss.
You can increase the number of steps you take daily by increasing your incidental walking. Examples include routinely taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to work.
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