Is walking good for weight loss? How 15000 steps can impact your weight loss

Exercise is key to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Walking is an easy way to increase your physical activity and is suitable for all fitness levels. And the really good news? Walking, particularly in nature, helps your mental well-being, too, which can give an extra boost to your weight loss.  

How many steps for weight loss per day?

We recommend around 10,000 steps a day for weight loss, but this can vary from person to person. It also depends on how active you are aside from walking. Someone who has an active job or regularly goes to the gym would see more weight loss from fewer steps. 

Studies show that most healthy adults take between 4000 and 18000 steps per day. But the more active you are, the greater number of calories you burn and the more weight you lose. So if you can fit 15000 steps into your day, particularly at a brisk pace, your weight loss journey will be even faster.

How many calories does 15000 steps a day burn?  

Walking 15000 steps a day can burn 600 to 1200 calories, depending on your starting weight, walking speed, terrain, age and metabolism.  

Conditions affecting caloric expenditure  

Factors that affect how many calories you burn when walking can include your:  

• starting weight  
• walking speed  
• age 
• metabolism  

How does my weight affect calorie burn? 

If you’re heavier, you burn more calories because a bigger body needs more energy to move and function. Even at rest, a heavier body requires more calories. So initially, you’ll lose weight more quickly through exercise.  

Does my walking speed affect how much weight I lose?  

The faster you walk, the more calories you burn. A quicker pace makes your heart beat faster and your muscles work harder. The NHS recommends that you walk briskly, at least 3 miles per hour. You know you’re walking briskly if you can talk but not sing the words to a song.

It’s also worth considering where you are walking; climbing a hill or scrambling over a stony beach burns more energy than walking along a flat path. 

12000 steps takes about 2-2.5 hours, depending on your speed and the terrain.  

Tips for maximising caloric burn  

There are a few simple hacks that might help burn calories faster through walking.  

These include:  

• higher step goals  
  More steps means burning more calories. 
• interval walking  
  Faster walking helps burn more calories. Interval walking is changing your speed of walking from slower to fast at regular intervals to maxmise the burn.  
• track performance  
  Keeping track of your walks, how far you’re going and how much you’ve burned can help you stay on track and improve your workouts. 

10 ways to get more steps in  

Record your daily distance goals on your fitness tracker or phone. You can increase your count in slow stages — add 500 more steps per day, or five minutes of walking, or go all out for the burn and immediately increase your target to 15000 steps per day.  

In order to add extra steps into your daily routine, you can try:  

• Choose walking over scrolling. Instead of grabbing your phone and going on social media, play some music and go for a relaxing walk.
• Start and end the day with a 5-10 minute walk.
• Get a walking mat.
• Step challenges with friends. Download a step counter and compete with your friends to see who can do the most steps in a day.
• Use smaller water bottles. The smaller the cup, the sooner you need to refill it, which means more trips to and from the tap.
• Opt for stairs over escalators.
• Walk after meals. A 10 minute walk after a meal foes a long way.
• Walk and talk. Turn meetings or phone calls into an opportunity to walk.
• Park further away. If you have to drive, park as far away from your destination as possible, and wlk the rest of the way.
• Use notifications as triggers. If you get a text, email or reminder, take it as an opportunity to get some steps in.

Interval walking for increased burn  

Interval walking means changing up your walking pace. Try five minutes at a faster speed, then five minutes slower.  

The viral trend of Japanese interval walking or Interval Walking Training (IWT) is a low-impact form of exercise that alternates three minutes of brisk walking with three minutes at a slower stroll for thirty minutes in total.  

You might try repeating the cycle until you hit 15000 steps. Studies have shown that this method may protect against high blood pressure and a decrease in muscle strength and aerobic capacity.

Tracking performance for motivation  

Keeping motivated and sticking consistently to an exercise plan is key to long-term weight loss.  

Tracking your performance using a pedometer, fitness tracker, or phone app helps you visualise how many steps you’ve taken in a day, week or month, and calculate the number of calories you’ve burned. Apps can help you:

• track your steps. 
• set goals. 
• see your achievements.  
• get tips to boost your activity.  

Finding more motivation 

Other ways to keep your exercise routine on track might include:  

• joining organised walks. Look online for informal local hiking groups.
• asking your friends and family for support. A positive, weekly check-in on your step counts will hold you accountable (in the nicest of ways!)  
• listening to music or podcasts as you walk. Motivate yourself with a tune or keep your brain busy with a podcast while you stroll. 
• making walking a habit. The more often you do it, the easier it is to stick to! 
• adding a hobby or interest to your walks. Find out about local history, try birdwatching, foraging or nature-spotting as you go. Or even take the opportunity to write poems or songs in your head.  

Extra benefits of walking: 

Walking also improves your health and life in other ways, many of which help indirectly with weight loss and can increase your motivation. You might find you have  

• improved mental health. 
• increased concentration. 
• more stress-reducing endorphins.  
• better sleep patterns. 
• a new appreciation of nature.  

Sources 

• Effects of high-intensity interval walking training on physical fitness and blood pressure in middle-aged and older people. National Library of Medicine. [Accessed 06/10/2025] 
• “Happy feet”: evaluating the benefits of a 100-day 10,000 step challenge on mental health and wellbeing. National Library of Medicine. [Accessed 06/10/2025] 
• How many steps/day are enough? for adults National Library of Medicine. [Accessed 06/10/2025] 
• Walking for Health NHS. NHS. [Accessed 06/10/2025]