Pick up the pace: Experts explain how to lose weight by walking

When it comes to exercise, walking never goes out of style. Sure, Pilates is all the rage, and CrossFit continues to have a loyal following, but walking is arguably one of the most accessible ways to get up and moving. And the good news? It can be an effective addition to your weight loss strategy — truly.

“Walking is one of the most accessible and low-impact forms of physical activity, which makes it a great option for people to stay consistent over time. It increases daily calorie burn and can help regulate appetite, improve blood sugar control, and support overall metabolic health,” says Jordan Hill, MS, registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching.

In fact, going for a brisk walk — about 4 to 5 miles per hour — can burn a similar number of calories per mile as running at a slower pace.

Need another reason to pick up the pace? A 2025 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine analyzed data from nearly 80,000 adults over about 17 years. Researchers found that people who reported doing at least 15 minutes of fast walking per day — such as brisk walking or climbing stairs — had about a 20% lower risk of death from any cause compared with those who didn’t.

Walking is pretty straightforward. After all, most of us learned how to do it around our first birthday. But if you’re specifically walking to lose weight, there are some key things to know to make your next outing even more effective for reaching your weight goals.

Ready to get started? Lace up your walking shoes and put on your weighted vest. We asked two registered dietitians for advice on how to lose weight by walking. Here’s what they said.

How much do you need to walk every day to lose weight?

Power walking can be an effective way to support weight loss. As a form of moderate-intensity exercise, it helps raise your heart rate, burn calories and maintain muscle mass as you lose weight. That said, how much you should walk each day depends on your goals — including how much weight you want to lose and how quickly you’d like to lose it.

For a healthy lifestyle, you've likely heard that you need to take 10,000 steps every day, which is just over 4 miles for the average female and nearly 5 miles for the average male. This is a good guideline to shoot for, but if you're just starting out, you may find 10,000 steps can feel overwhelming. You may want to invest in a fitness tracker or pedometer to gauge what your baseline level of walking is, then gradually add more steps over time. Consider adding an extra 500 to 1,000 steps per day, each week.

Active choices, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or adding short walking breaks to your day, can also be helpful for weight management, says Katrina Piercy, RD, director of the division of prevention science at the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. It can also help you meet your step goal.

You should also consider your diet and the number of calories you consume each day. If the number of calories you consume is significantly higher than what you burn, you probably won't see significant weight loss results. Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand, so if you're looking for a way to better manage your diet while also kickstarting your walking routine, consider subscribing to a meal delivery service for weight loss.

Is walking 30 minutes a day enough for weight loss?

While counting steps can be helpful for tracking your daily movement, Hill says that “focusing on total active time may be more meaningful from a health and weight management perspective.”

She adds that doing both can be particularly effective: “Step counts encourage daily movement, while duration and intensity of movement help ensure the activity is meaningful enough to support fitness and energy expenditure.”

So, how long should you walk for? The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week (which breaks down to 30 minutes a day, five days a week). However, if you’re trying to lose weight, you might need to extend your workouts.

“Some people will need to do the equivalent of 300 or more minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week to meet their body weight goals," says Piercy. How much you need ultimately comes down to factors like your metabolism, current weight and overall goals.

How long does it take to see weight loss results from walking?

The amount of time it takes to start losing weight from a walking workout — or any regular exercise plan — varies based on several factors. Weight loss is a highly individual process that depends on your current activity level and eating habits, as well as your height, weight, sex, age, metabolism and muscle mass.

“Visible weight changes can take several weeks to a few months, especially if walking is paired with supportive nutrition habits,” says Hill. However, she adds that you may notice other benefits sooner, such as improvements in mood, energy levels and cardiovascular health. “The key is consistency, as regular walking accumulated over several months tends to lead to more meaningful results than short bursts of intense effort that aren’t maintained,” she says.

Can you lose belly fat by walking?

Physical activity can help reduce abdominal fat and preserve muscle during weight loss, Piercy says. Additionally, maintaining your body weight may help prevent the weight gain around the midriff area that tends to occur as you get older.

Walking is great exercise, and it’s something you can do easily, whether at home, outside or at a gym. Just keep in mind that a moderate-intensity walk is more likely to support weight loss goals than a leisurely stroll.

How to make walking more intense to boost weight loss results

If you feel like you've reached a plateau while walking, try taking a different path. Increasing your intensity level can help burn more calories and may support weight loss over time. To amp up your walking routine, consider:

• Walking hills. Try walking hills or on an incline on a treadmill instead of on flat ground. In addition to offering a greater cardiovascular challenge, it will also help build more muscle mass in your legs and glutes.

• Increasing your speed. Pick up the pace as you feel more comfortable walking. For instance, if you usually walk at a 2.5 mph pace, see if you can complete your walk while maintaining a 2.8 mph or 3 mph pace. Each walk should feel challenging, so as you become more fit, it's important to continue to test your own limits.

• Adding intervals. You can also add intervals to your routine. Try walking at your typical pace for a minute, then increasing your speed for another 30 seconds. Cycle between these higher and lower paces for the duration of your walk.

• Adding light hand weights or a weighted vest. Added resistance can also increase the intensity of your workout. (Here are our favorite weighted vests, tested and reviewed.)

Piercy recommends using the talk test to determine the intensity of your walk. Generally, a person doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity can talk but not sing during the activity, she said. "A person doing vigorous-intensity activity cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath."

As your walking journey progresses, pay attention to these signs: If you're able to carry on a conversation without needing to catch your breath, it may be time to kick the intensity up a notch.

What are some other health benefits of walking besides weight loss?

In addition to losing weight, walking — or any physical activity — is a healthy habit that has numerous benefits that are great for your overall well-being.

For adults, Piercy says, physical activity can help reduce the risk of eight types of cancer, dementia, all-cause mortality, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and depression. It also improves bone health, physical function and quality of life.

You might also see immediate benefits after your exercise. A single session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, Piercy says, can reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, improve sleep, reduce anxiety symptoms and improve some aspects of cognition on the day that it's performed.

What do most people do wrong when walking for weight loss?

"There isn't a wrong way to walk," Piercy says, but "comfortable walking shoes can make walking more enjoyable." When it comes to the best walking gear, you may also want to consider orthopedic shoe options if you have foot, knee, hip or back pain, especially while walking.

Most importantly, if you're walking to lose weight, make sure you're keeping up a brisk walking pace and taking longer walks. As mentioned above, a moderate-intensity pace or higher will provide the best results. But if you're just getting started, simply walking is better than sitting.

Meet our experts

• Katrina Piercy, RD, director of the division of prevention science at the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Jordan Hill, MS, CCSD, registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching

Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.