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Though I love lifting weights and rowing, there are certain days when I have a lot on my plate. On these days, whether I’m vacationing or at work, I make sure to get my daily dose of exercise by walking. If you have busy days or are looking to start exercising, 1000 steps a day can be a good start.
How many calories do you burn per 1000 steps? Everyone is different, and there are various factors that come into play when calculating the number of calories burned per 1000 steps. However, on average most people burn approximately 50 calories per 1000 steps.
The article below explains in detail how many calories you’ll burn, how to intensify your walk for more calorie burn per 1 step and more.
Table of Contents
How Many Calories Do You Burn in 1000 Steps?
One mile is equal to 2000 steps, so how many miles in 1000 steps? Half a mile. Studies show the average person burns about 0.05 calories per step. In other words, you’ll burn 50 calories per 1000 steps walking.
However, we’ve found that the number of calories burned can go up or down depending on several factors, such as your height, weight, and speed. To help you with that, here is a chart to show the amount of calorie burn for different speeds and for people of different weights. For accurate feedback, we used a pedometer.
1000 Steps Calories Burned Calculator
(Calories burned on slow, moderate, and fast paces)
|
Weight |
Calories Burned at Difference Speeds or Pace | ||
| 2 mph (3.2 km/h) | 3 mph (4.8 km/h) | 4 mph (6.4 km/h) | |
| 100 lb (45kg) | 24 | 28 | 40 |
| 140 lb (64kg) | 33 | 39 | 56 |
| 160 lb (73kg) | 38 | 44 | 64 |
| 180 lb (82kg) | 43 | 50 | 71 |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 48 | 56 | 79 |
| 220 lb (100kg) | 52 | 61 | 87 |
| 250 lb (114kg) | 60 | 69 | 99 |
| 275 lb (125kg) | 65 | 76 | 109 |
| 300 lb(136 kg) | 71 | 83 | 119 |
| 350 lb (159kg) | 83 | 97 | 139 |
Factors Affecting Calories Burned in 1000 Steps
Our bodies burn calories differently. For instance, heavier people burn more calories per step. Here are a few factors that determine the number of calories burned in 1000 steps.
Stride length
Your stride length plays a big role in the number of calories burnt per 1000 steps. Your height determines your stride length. What it means is that if you’re tall, you’ll have longer strides than people who are shorter than you are, and vice versa.
How do you measure your stride length? There are different ways, including using online mapping apps, going to a park and manually measuring your stride length, and using the wet foot test method.
Why is stride length important? Since taller people have longer strides, they take fewer steps than a shorter person to walk the same distance. This means that when two people walk half a mile, the shorter person takes more steps and works harder to cover 1/2 mile than the taller guy. Simply put, a shorter walker burns more calories than one who is taller.
Weight
Aside from height and stride length, body weight is another factor that determines the number of calories one burns in 1000 steps. Research after research has shown that heavier people burn more calories per step compared to smaller-bodied people.
This is because it takes more energy for a heavier person to push their body compared to a petite person. If you are on the smaller side, we recommend you up the number of steps a day to 6000 steps or more. Plus, we’ll mention a few exercises below and provide links to some exercises that you could add to your routine.
Walking surface (terrain)
Another factor that plays a part in how many calories you burn walking 1000 steps is the type of surface.
For example, walking up a hill recruits more muscle groups, which makes your body work harder and burns more calories.
At the same time, walking at a slow pace on a flat surface burns fewer calories. So, for best results, opt for hilly surfaces to work your body more.
If you are using a treadmill with an auto incline at home, you can adjust the incline to several degrees to simulate walking uphill and work more muscles.
Age
‘The older you grow, the more you glow,’ said my mum. One of the drawbacks of aging is losing muscle tissue. In case you didn’t know, muscle mass burns more calories, so if you have less muscle mass, you’ll burn calories at a slower rate compared to muscled younglings.
So what do you do to compensate for your age? It means you have to work twice as hard. You can add your step count or use a pedal exerciser from the comfort of your home and get as much workout as needed.
Lifestyle
How often are you on your feet? What do you eat? What are the habits that contribute to your weight loss/gain? The answers to these questions will help you in your progress.
Also, if you’re looking to lose weight you must be willing to make some lifestyle changes. Just a heads-up. If you do that, there’s a good chance your body and mind will protest about these changes. It’s normal. The changes you make depend on the number of pounds you want to shed off.
Can You Lose Weight Walking 1000 Steps?
Let’s use the table given above and do some math. If you weigh 160 lbs and do 1000 steps of brisk walking every day, it will take 57 days or roughly 2 months to lose 1 pound. That’s a long time to lose 1 pound!
So, yes, you can lose weight walking 1000 steps a day, but for faster results, you should aim to get to 10,000 steps a day. A 160 lb person walking 10,000 steps a day burns about 350 calories, resulting in faster weight loss.
Just like in other workouts, intensity amplifies the results you get. The following section teaches you how to apply that principle to walking.
Adding Intensity to Walking for Faster Results
Walking 1000 steps per day is a great start, but it takes months if not years to see positive results. Plus, it takes about 10 minutes to do the 1000 steps. A good workout should last at least 30 minutes for low-intensity steady state (LISS) exercises and 15 – 20 minutes for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises. Here are a few exercises you can do to add intensity to your routine.
Try interval training
Interval training means changing the pace of any workouts. When walking 1000 steps, change the pace every few steps to keep the muscles engaged.
Here is a quick HIIT walking exercise table for 1000 steps. In this example, 1000 steps take about 10 minutes.
10 Minutes HIIT Walking Workout
| Speed | Time |
| 2.5 mph (slow pace) | 1 min (warm up) |
| 3.0 mph (moderate pace) | 2 mins |
| 4.0 mph (fast pace) | 3 mins |
| 3.0 mph | 1 min |
| 4.0 mph | 2 mins |
| 2.5 mph | 1 min (cooldown) |
Add squats
Whether I want to tone my biceps or work my glutes, squats are my go-to exercises. Most athletes prefer this exercise because it has many variations, plus you can work out using a machine or balance yourself with your body weight. So while walking burns 0.05 calorie per step, adding squats can burn about 0.30 calorie per squat.
Switch directions
Another way you can intensify your 1000 steps workout is by switching directions as you walk. This is applicable when doing walking or running in place. Changing directions recruits different muscle groups which help burn more calories per step.
Use weights: You may add some light lifting using dumbbells when doing your 1000 steps. Adding dumbbells allows you to work your arms as you walk. Ensure the dumbbells are the right weight. Do not overexert yourself.
Switch surfaces/terrain
For a good workout, ensure to change the terrain or incline level if you are using a treadmill. Running uphill engages more muscles and burns calories faster than running on a level surface. Meanwhile, walking downhill helps your body cool down.
You can use the chart above as a guide to switch between different surfaces. You can check some of the best Goplus treadmills here.
Nutrition
What’s on your plate plays a big role in your weight loss journey. You can’t work out and eat the wrong foods. Foods to eat include leafy greens, food high in fiber, Omega 3, and plenty of water. If you’re building muscles, make sure your protein intake is adequate.
Avoid fatty foods. Also, make an effort to be on your feet either at work or at home as often as possible.
Other Benefits of Walking
Aside from helping you lose weight, walking 1000 steps a day offers the following benefits:
Burns calories
1000 steps burn about 50 calories. We encourage you to aim for 6,000 steps then 10,000 steps for better results.
Tones lower body
While walking exercises work your body, they recruit the lower body more. Walking tones your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes.
Reduces risk of heart problems
According to this study, walking for at least 30 minutes a day reduces the risk of heart problems by up to 19%. 1000 steps take about 10 minutes, which is great for beginners. However, as your body gets used to exercising, we recommend you up your game to 10,000 steps, which is the recommended amount for adults.
Improves your health
Studies show that exercising between 15 – 30 minutes a day for five days has innumerable benefits including improving one’s health. If you suffer from joint pain or want to lower your blood sugar, start your 1000 steps a day today to better your health.
Final Thoughts
How many calories are burned in 1000 steps? About 50 calories. To lose one pound you need to burn 3,500 calories. Though 50 calories may seem small, especially if you want to shed off 50 pounds and above, it’s a great start. Once you’ve mastered the 1000 steps a day, push to 3000, 6000, then 10,000 steps. This will keep you from the dreaded weight loss plateau.
When working out, remember to maintain proper form, switch terrains to recruit more muscles, try interval training for faster calorie burn. Lastly, eat healthier foods and you’ll see better results sooner than later.
Written by Alisha Wishart – TheHealthPot.com
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Writer and Contributor
Alisha, is a Mother, Wife and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). She understands how demanding everyday life can be and takes great pride in working with individuals and groups to help them achieve their desired fitness goals. Read more about Alisha here.
