May 14, 2026, 6:36 am | Read time: 4 minutes
To stay healthy, it’s commonly recommended to take at least 10,000 steps daily. However, this number was never scientifically proven. Now, researchers have found that significantly fewer steps are sufficient to at least maintain weight.
Today, every smartphone can count our daily steps. Smartwatches or activity trackers on the wrist are even more precise. The goal is usually: at least 10,000 steps per day. Interestingly, this number originates from a Japanese advertising campaign in the 1960s promoting a pedometer, as FITBOOK reported in an earlier article. Researchers have now found in a meta-analysis of 18 studies that around 8,500 steps are enough to maintain one’s weight, especially if a weight loss program was previously undertaken.
On the Trail of the Right Step Count
Do you really need 10,000 steps to maintain weight? This question was addressed by Italian researchers from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, along with a Lebanese colleague from the Arab University of Beirut. They searched two large scientific databases for randomized controlled trials on this topic. They selected 18 studies that recorded both daily step count and weight development during a weight loss program. For a deeper statistical analysis, the researchers further selected 14 studies from these.
The data analysis included 3,758 study participants with an average age of about 52 years. Particularly interesting is the ethnic diversity of the participants. They came from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, Finland, Iran, Sweden, and the Netherlands. All studies shared the same data collection points for weight:
- Before the start of the weight loss program
- At the end of active weight loss
- After a longer period to assess weight maintenance
All studies used mobile pedometers or activity trackers to help determine how many steps are needed daily to maintain weight.
Around 8,500 Steps Are Enough to Maintain Weight
At the start of the weight loss programs, participants in the active groups, who increased their step count, and those in the control groups, who did not participate in the weight loss program and did not increase their step count, walked about the same number of steps. On average, it was around 7,200 steps per day.
The weight loss program lasted about eight months. During this time, the active group increased their step count to nearly 8,500 steps per day. In the comparison group, it only slightly increased to about 7,500 steps. Participants in the weight loss programs lost more than four percent of their body weight on average after about eight months. The control group, however, maintained their weight relatively constant at all measurement points.
After the weight loss, there was a maintenance phase of about ten months. The weight was then measured again. Participants who took part in the weight loss program and continued to take nearly 8,500 steps per day were able to maintain their weight well. Compared to the start of the study, they still had an average weight loss of 3.3 percent. The control group showed no significant change in this measurement, neither in weight nor in daily step count.
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Researchers Derive Interesting Conclusions from the Results
Anyone who measures their daily step count knows how hard it is to reach 10,000 steps in everyday life. The study data suggests that reaching over 8,500 steps is already beneficial, as this appears to be enough to maintain weight. This is at least true after a weight loss program and a healthy lifestyle change.
Interestingly, the data analysis showed that the number of steps during a weight loss program was not as crucial for weight loss success. The researchers of the meta-analysis suspect that calorie reduction, rather than physical activity, is primarily responsible for weight loss. On the other hand, increasing the step count is crucial for maintaining the new weight. The data shows: Interestingly, the analysis also shows: You don’t have to become a marathon runner. Every additional 1,000 steps per day beyond the personal starting point (7,200 steps) measurably improved the chance of maintaining the new weight long-term.
Limitations of the Study
The responsible researchers themselves point out that the determined number of around 8,500 steps is based on average values from several studies. This means it should not be considered a definitive clinical recommendation. Therefore, these findings are preliminary. Additionally, the relationship between step count and weight maintenance is derived from comparisons of different studies at the group level and not from tracking individual patients.
Finally, it must always be remembered that weight loss and maintenance are a combination of calorie intake and calorie expenditure. So, if you take 8,500 steps a day but consume significantly more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Therefore, more steps are only a useful tool for weight loss and maintenance if diet is also monitored.
How much you should generally move in everyday life is explained by FITBOOK in this article.