What will happen if I walk 20000 steps a day for a month?

If you decide to take long walks to lose weight, I have some great news for you: You will surely succeed! However, you might face some difficulties in the process. Check out, how to start walking 20,000 steps a day and the results you should expect.

During the 2020’th quarantine, I gained about 15 pounds in less than three months. All this stress, anxiety, no physical activity, emotional eating, and actually having nothing else to do except for eating take their toll. As all the gyms were closed, I decided to deal with the weight I’ve gained by taking long walks.

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What will happen if I walk 20000 steps a day for a month?
A woman walks in the forest

How many miles/km are 20,000 steps?

For a person of 5’4" height, 20,000 steps are about 8.5 miles ( 14 km). If you’re about 5’6", this amount of steps will be equal to over 10 miles ( 16 km).

How much time does it take to walk 20,000 steps?

With a 4 mph speed of, it takes 2.5 hours ( 150 min) to walk 20,000 steps. 

How many calories do 20,000 steps burn?

The number of calories you burn dramatically depends on your body weight, height, pace, sex, muscle mass percentage, etc. Here is the chart of how many calories you might burn per hour of moderate walking (2,000 - 2,400 steps per mile), considering your weight and height.

Calories burned while walking 20,000 steps based on weight and height: 

Weight, lb (kg)Height 6 Feet and AboveHeight 5'6" to 5'11"Height 5'5" and Under100 lb (45 kg)550500458120 lb ( 55 kg)660600550140 lb ( 64 kg)760691633160 lb ( 73 kg)870791725180 lb ( 82 kg)980891817200 lb ( 91 kg)1090991908220 lb ( 100 kg)120010911000250 lb ( 114 kg)137012451142275 lb ( 125 kg)150013641250300 lb (136 kg)164014911367

Considering that 20,000 steps take about 3 hours at this moderate pace, a 180 lb ( 82 kg) person will burn around 800 - 1000 calories while walking!

Warning: Some people tend to burn off their poor food choices with overexercising. Please, don’t do that. Make physical activity a joyful addition to your life and not a tedious punishment. Only in this case will you be able to make workouts a healthy, sustainable habit.

How to get 20,000 steps a day?

From my own experience, I’ve learned that you have to plan your day if you want to hit the 20,000 steps goal with no sacrifices. Now, when the gyms are opened again, you can occupy the treadmill for three hours, but I assure you, this approach won’t make you happier. I recommend you to think about how you can integrate all these steps in your life by making minor amendments to your daily routine.

If you’re going to the office by public transport, get off the bus or subway at one station beforehand. If you’re driving a car, park it some miles away from the office. If you need something at the supermarket, take a walk and don’t use a car.

If you’re a socializer who likes meeting with friends, offer them to have a walk instead of sitting in a cafe. Take your kids, spouse, parents, dog, whoever for a walk: Have some quality time together.

If you’re working from home and there are no places you have to visit daily, make your own quests. For example, you can walk to a distant coffee shop to have your morning cappuccino. You can choose the far supermarket to do your daily shopping. 

This thing with shopping might be a bit tricky, though. Let me explain. I remember feeling awkward about aimlessly strolling, so I set a goal every time I went out. As almost everything was closed, as a rule, I aimed at long-distanced supermarkets. Yes, I’ve lost some weight due to these long walks, but my wallet also became significantly thinner. I always bought something in the supermarkets I set as my “point B,” and these were things I didn’t even need in most cases.

See also: I've Tried Walking 10,000 Steps a Day for Weight Loss and Here's What Happened

How much weight should a person lose walking 20,000 steps a day?

I took 20,000-steps long walks for about two weeks, and I was astonished at how much it has helped me lose weight. I’ve lost almost six pounds in these two weeks, which became the starting point for my getting back into shape journey. Keep in mind, though, that your results might be different from mine which is absolutely fine, as we all have different bodies.

Besides burning calories out, long walks also influence how much you eat. In my case, the decrease in calories I consumed was due to at least three hours I would spend outdoors. This means I wasn’t snacking during these hours. 

Another way how walking affects your weight is that it helps you become less focused on food. My problem with the quarantine weight gain was that often I was eating just of boredom. And walking has shown me that there were still some interesting things you could do apart from munching. For example, you could go to the forest or the park and enjoy nature.

Summing up

  • Walking is a part of the so-called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) which is a part of your total daily calories needs. By increasing your NEAT (aka taking more steps a day), you make your body burn more calories and, by doing so, boost your metabolism.
  • Walking for weight loss is extremely underrated. It is also a fantastic tool to maintain your new physique when you’ve already lost some pounds. Take your steps, and you will see results very fast.
  • Walking doesn’t cause hunger spikes as a more intense physical activity often does. This is why walking might be more beneficial for those who try to decrease their calorie intake.
  • Increase your steps a day progressively. If currently, you take less than 3,000 steps a day, add 1,000 steps every week. Find a sustainable number of steps for you, and try to push yourself a bit harder now and then.

I have tried walking 20,000 steps a day for weight loss, and I know it helps! If you’re not ready to spend that much time walking, increase your daily steps progressively, and you will still be astonished by the changes that happen to your body. It’s not only your weight that will normalize. Walking positively affects your psychological health positively; it boosts your metabolism and improves your stamina and overall fitness.

How much weight can I lose walking 20000 steps a day for a month?

Burning calories. As stated, walking is an exercise like any other, and thus depending on how much you weigh and how fast you walk, you can burn anywhere between 670 to 1000 calories a day by just taking 20000 steps. Doing this constantly for several months can help you lose and keep off more than 100 pounds.

Is 20000 steps a day realistic?

The CDC recommends that walking 10,000 steps a day is enough to stay in good shape, but most people want to hit 20,000 steps as part of their health goals. Many personal factors such as speed, body weight, overall health, and stride affect the distance and health benefits you derive from walking 20,000 steps a day.

How many calories do you lose if you walk 20000 steps?

Height 6 Feet and Above.

Does 20000 steps count as exercise?

If you were to walk 20,000 steps a day, you are going to find that this is going to be considered an active lifestyle. In fact, it is often considered to be a very active lifestyle since a lot of people struggle to get to 10,000 steps a day.