Your fitness goal: General Fitness Gains
Your plan: If you’re new to exercise or returning from injury, you’ll want to start slowly to avoid burnout or further injury. Wear a Fitbit tracker and determine how many steps you take on average each day over the course of a week. That’s your baseline. The Mayo Clinic recommends adding 1000 daily steps each week, so if your baseline is 4000 steps per day, set your goal at 5000 steps each day. Meeting your goal may be as simple as an extra five-minute walk, or even parking a few cars further away at the supermarket, depending on your speed and stride.
Your fitness goal: Weight Loss
Your plan: First, determine how much weight you wish to lose—then, do a little math. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends slow weight loss for lasting results—usually 1/2 pound to one pound per week. Completing an extra 10,000 steps each day typically burns about 2000 to 3500 extra calories each week. One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories, so depending on your weight and workout intensity, you could lose about one pound per week simply by completing an extra 10,000 steps each day.
Your fitness goal: Health Maintenance
Your plan: Once you have met your desired goals, you may simply want to maintain your fitness level. The 10,000-step goal could be just right for you—and the benefits of a 30-minute daily stroll are nearly boundless, from slowing mental decline and lowering blood pressure, to improving sleep and relieving depression. One study out of California State University showed that mood lifted in correlation with increased numbers of daily steps, and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that 30 minutes of walking each day cut stroke risk by a minimum of 20%. Of course, you’ll also burn calories and fat, and if outside, enjoy an extra dose of sunny vitamin D while you’re at it.
Ready to adjust your step goal? Click into your Fitbit app on your mobile device, tap Account, scroll down to Goals, choose Activity, and then tap Steps to set the number that makes sense for you. You can also visit your Fitbit dashboard on your computer, hover over Steps to reveal the Settings icon, click Activity Goals, and then set the number of steps.
What’s your perfect number? Tell us all about your ultimate step goal and join the conversation below.This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.
Lara Rosenbaum
Lara Rosenbaum is a writer, certified fitness trainer, and dog lover with a serious passion for the outdoors. Formerly Fitbit's fitness editor, Lara has held editorial positions at several magazines, including Women’s Health, where she was the founding fitness editor. Lara is also a former elite athlete, and has traveled the world as a member of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team.
When calculating your calories burned per step, the number will depend on your weight and height. For instance, a typical 160-pound person of average height will burn about 40 calories per 1,000 steps. This is the equivalent of 0.04 calories per step. The charts below show you how many calories you'd burn in 1,000 steps, 5,000 steps, 10,000 steps, or more. Here is what you need to know about converting your steps to calories burned.
Convert Your Steps to Calories
To convert your steps to calories, you will need to know your approximate steps per mile. Most fitness trackers estimate your steps per mile from your height. An average number at a brisk walk or easy running pace is 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile.
You also can measure your stride length to find your steps per mile or count your steps over a measured mile for greater accuracy. Alternatively, you can use a steps per mile chart, along with your height and weight, to estimate calories burned at various step counts. The calorie numbers are based on metabolic equivalents (MET) research, taking an average of the calories burned at walking speeds from 2 to 4 miles per hour.
Here are some charts that are based on height and weight. These will give you an approximate number of calories burned per step.
Height 6 Feet and Above
Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if your height is 6 feet or more. This assumes that you take 2,000 steps per mile.
2,000 Steps per Mile (Height 6 Feet and Above) Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight
Weight
100 lb
120 lb
140 lb
160 lb
180 lb
200 lb
220 lb
250 lb
275 lb
300 lb
Steps
45 kg
55 kg
64 kg
73 kg
82 kg
91 kg
100 kg
114 kg
125 kg
136 kg
1,000
28 cal.
33
38
44
49
55
60
69
75
82
2,000
55
66
76
87
98
109
120
137
150
164
3,000
83
99
114
131
147
164
180
206
225
246
4,000
110
132
152
174
196
218
240
274
300
328
5,000
138
165
190
218
245
273
300
343
375
410
6,000
165
198
228
261
294
327
360
411
450
492
7,000
193
231
266
305
343
382
420
480
525
574
8,000
220
264
304
348
392
436
480
548
600
656
9,000
248
297
342
392
441
491
540
617
675
738
10,000
275
330
380
435
490
545
600
685
750
820
11,000
303
363
418
479
539
600
660
754
825
902
12,000
330
396
456
522
588
654
720
822
900
984
13,000
358
429
494
566
637
709
780
891
975
1,066
14,000
385
462
532
609
686
763
840
959
1,050
1,148
15,000
413
495
570
653
735
818
900
1,028
1,125
1,230
16,000
440
528
608
696
784
872
960
1,096
1,200
1,312
17,000
468
561
646
740
833
927
1,020
1,165
1,275
1,394
18,000
495
594
684
783
882
981
1,080
1,233
1,350
1,476
19,000
523
627
722
827
931
1,036
1,140
1,302
1,425
1,558
20,000
550
660
760
870
980
1,090
1,200
1,370
1,500
1,640
Height 5'6" to 5'11"
Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if your height ranges from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 11 inches. This assumes that you take 2,200 steps per mile.
2,200 Steps per Mile (Height 5'6" to 5'11") Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight
Weight
100 lb
120 lb
140 lb
160 lb
180 lb
200 lb
220 lb
250 lb
275 lb
300 lb
Steps
45 kg
55 kg
64 kg
73 kg
82 kg
91 kg
100 kg
114 kg
125 kg
136 kg
1,000
25 cal.
30
35
40
45
50
55
62
68
75
2,000
50
60
69
79
89
99
109
125
136
149
3,000
75
90
104
119
134
149
164
187
205
224
4,000
100
120
138
158
178
198
218
249
273
298
5,000
125
150
173
198
223
248
273
311
341
373
6,000
150
180
207
237
267
297
327
374
409
447
7,000
175
210
242
277
312
347
382
436
477
522
8,000
200
240
276
316
356
396
436
498
545
596
9,000
225
270
311
356
401
446
491
560
614
671
10,000
250
300
345
395
445
495
545
623
682
745
11,000
275
330
380
435
490
545
600
685
750
820
12,000
300
360
415
475
535
595
655
747
818
895
13,000
325
390
449
514
579
644
709
810
886
969
14,000
350
420
484
554
624
694
764
872
955
1,044
15,000
375
450
518
593
668
743
818
934
1,023
1,118
16,000
400
480
553
633
713
793
873
996
1,091
1,193
17,000
425
510
587
672
757
842
927
1,059
1,159
1,267
18,000
450
540
622
712
802
892
982
1,121
1,227
1,342
19,000
475
570
656
751
846
941
1,036
1,183
1,295
1,416
20,000
500
600
691
791
891
991
1,091
1,245
1,364
1,491
Height 5'5" and Under
Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if you are 5 feet 5 inches or less. This assumes that you take 2,400 steps per mile.
2,400 Steps per Mile (Height 5'5" and Under) Calories Burned by Step Count and Weight
Weight
100 lb
120 lb
140 lb
160 lb
180 lb
200 lb
220 lb
250 lb
275 lb
300 lb
Steps
45 kg
55 kg
64 kg
73 kg
82 kg
91 kg
100 kg
114 kg
125 kg
136 kg
1,000
23 cal.
28
32
36
41
45
50
57
63
68
2,000
46
55
63
73
82
91
100
114
125
137
3,000
69
83
95
109
123
136
150
171
188
205
4,000
92
110
127
145
163
182
200
228
250
273
5,000
115
138
158
181
204
227
250
285
313
342
6,000
138
165
190
218
245
273
300
343
375
410
7,000
160
193
222
254
286
318
350
400
438
478
8,000
183
220
253
290
327
363
400
457
500
547
9,000
206
248
285
326
368
409
450
514
563
615
10,000
229
275
317
363
408
454
500
571
625
683
11,000
252
303
348
399
449
500
550
628
688
752
12,000
275
330
380
435
490
545
600
685
750
820
13,000
298
358
412
471
531
590
650
742
813
888
14,000
321
385
443
508
572
636
700
799
875
957
15,000
344
413
475
544
613
681
750
856
938
1,025
16,000
367
440
507
580
653
727
800
913
1,000
1,093
17,000
390
468
538
616
694
772
850
970
1,063
1,162
18,000
413
495
570
653
735
818
900
1,028
1,125
1,230
19,000
435
523
602
689
776
863
950
1,085
1,188
1,298
20,000
458
550
633
725
817
908
1,000
1,142
1,250
1,367
A Word From Verywell
If you are looking to increase caloric expenditure while walking, you can try speeding up, doing running intervals, and using fitness walking poles. Most fitness trackers don't accurately track activities that aren't step-based, so they may not be included in your total steps. You can calculate step equivalents for other activities based on the calories burned.