How Far is 10,000 Steps a Day... ??

So many of us have Fitbits and Apple Watches these days... or other wearables that track our steps. I always have heard that we should walk 10,000 steps a day. It wasn't until I read this article by Caitlyn Fitzpatrick on PopSugar that I really thought about the distance of 10,000 steps.

Before I give you the (somewhat depressing) statistics, we will first assume the 10,000 steps measured by your device are actually true walking steps. Sadly, we know these devices count arm oscillations, wrist movements, and other body movements as "steps" when we are not even moving (don't cheat). That said, let's look at the numbers!

10,000 steps = 5 miles

100 calories are burned every 1 mile of walking

10,000 steps = 5 miles of walking = 500 calories

Doing 10,000 steps, 7 days a week = 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat

All things being equal that means if you get your 10,000 steps in EVERY day, then you could potentially lose 1 pound of fat per week.   Even if you are doing other forms of cardio / workouts and are able to capture your burned calories - you need almost 3500 burned a week to lose one single pound.  Its now even more clear why it's so hard to lose weight!  But don't let that discourage you - keep moving and get walking!