“10,000 steps a day” is probably the world’s best-known fitness goal. But how much energy does it actually use? For a 70 kg adult walking at a steady pace, 10,000 steps burns roughly 1,500 to 1,720 kJ (about 360 to 410 Calories). Heavier people burn more; lighter people less.
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How Far Is 10,000 Steps?
It depends on your stride length, which depends mostly on your height:
| Stride length | Typical for | Distance of 10,000 steps |
|---|---|---|
| 0.65 m | Shorter adults | 6.5 km |
| 0.70 m | Average women | 7.0 km |
| 0.75 m | Average adults | 7.5 km |
| 0.80 m | Average men / taller adults | 8.0 km |
At a steady 5 km/h, 10,000 steps takes around 85-95 minutes of walking.
Kilojoules Burned By Body Weight
Using a MET value of 3.5 for walking at about 5 km/h:
| Body weight | 7 km (0.70 m stride) | 8 km (0.80 m stride) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 1,184 kJ (283 kcal) | 1,353 kJ (323 kcal) |
| 70 kg | 1,507 kJ (360 kcal) | 1,722 kJ (412 kcal) |
| 85 kg | 1,830 kJ (437 kcal) | 2,091 kJ (500 kcal) |
| 100 kg | 2,153 kJ (515 kcal) | 2,460 kJ (588 kcal) |
Does Walking Faster Burn More?
Walking faster burns more energy per minute, but you also finish the distance sooner. Per kilometre, the difference is modest at normal walking speeds. Energy use per kilometre rises more noticeably when you:
- walk uphill or on stairs;
- walk on sand, grass or trails;
- carry a backpack or shopping;
- walk very fast (above about 6.5 km/h), when walking becomes less efficient than jogging.
Gross Vs Net Kilojoules
The numbers above are gross: they include the energy your body would have used anyway over those 90 minutes. The extra energy from walking is about 70% of the gross figure. For a 70 kg adult, 10,000 steps adds roughly 1,080-1,230 kJ net to what you’d burn sitting still.
How 10,000 Steps Compares With Food
For a 70 kg adult, 10,000 steps (7.5 km) burns about the same energy as:
- a medium serve of fries (~1,530 kJ), or
- a meat pie (~1,820 kJ), slightly more, or
- two regular flat whites and a banana (~1,700 kJ).
That’s a useful amount, but it also shows why diet and activity work best together.
Where Did 10,000 Steps Come From?
The number is often traced to a Japanese pedometer marketed in the 1960s, whose name roughly translates as “10,000-step meter”. Later research has found that health benefits increase with steps well below 10,000, many studies show meaningful gains from about 7,000-8,000 steps a day: with further benefits beyond that. So 10,000 is a good goal, not a magic threshold.
Easy Ways To Add Steps
- Walk while you talk on the phone.
- Get off public transport a stop early.
- Take the stairs where you can.
- Walk after meals: even 10 minutes helps.
- Park further away.
- Break it up: three 20-minute walks count just as much as one hour.
Use the exercise kJ calculator to see what your own walks burn, convert your watch’s active kJ, or the daily kJ calculator to see how activity changes your energy needs.
FAQ
How many kJ does walking 10,000 steps burn?
About 1,500 to 1,720 kJ (360 to 410 Calories) for a 70 kg adult walking at around 5 km/h. It ranges from about 1,200 kJ for a 55 kg person to over 2,100 kJ for a 100 kg person.
How many km is 10,000 steps?
Typically 6.5-8 km, depending on stride length.
How long does it take to walk 10,000 steps?
About 85-95 minutes at a steady 5 km/h.
Is walking 10,000 steps enough to lose weight?
It can help, especially combined with a sensible kilojoule intake. On its own, the extra energy used is roughly 1,000-1,200 kJ a day for an average adult.