10,000 steps daily is not enough

No amount of walking can prevent weight gain by itself, according to a study which suggests that the widely practised standard of pacing 10,000 steps a day to lose weight may not be solely effective. Researchers, including those from Brigham Young University in the US, studied 120 college freshmen over their first six months of college as they participated in a step-counting experiment.

According to the study the participants walked either 10,000, 12,500 or 15,000 steps a day, six days a week for 24 weeks, while the scientists tracked the amount of calories the freshmen consumed and their weight. The scientists examined if exceeding the recommended count of 10,000 steps per day would minimise weight and fat gain in the college students, the study noted.

According to the study, the students gained weight even if if they walked more than even 15,000 steps. Students in the study gained on average about 1.5 kilogrammes (kg) over the study period, the researchers said. A one to four kilogramme average weight gain is commonly observed during the first academic year of college, according to earlier studies, they said.

“Exercise alone is not always the most effective way to lose weight,” said study lead author Bruce Bailey, professor of exercise science at BYU.

“If you track steps, it might have a benefit in increasing physical activity, but our study showed it won’t translate into maintaining weight or preventing weight gain” Bailey said.