Walking 10,000 steps a day is usually treated as gospel for anyone trying to lose weight or simply improve their fitness. But while walking is accessible, low-impact and easy to incorporate into your routine, hitting that daily step target can be time-consuming.
Plus, a review published in The Lancet Public Health found that walking just 7,000 steps a day was associated with a 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with 2,000 steps.
So, are there more efficient ways to burn the same number of calories?
Fitness coach Jeremy Ethier put 11 different exercises to the test in a YouTube video. From Japanese walking and rebounding to burpees and incline treadmill walking, he aimed to find out which delivered the greatest calorie burn in the shortest time.
‘Walking 10,000 steps a day is one of the simplest ways to lose fat. But there is one problem with it. Time,’ says Ethier.
How the 10,000-Step Calorie Burn Experiment Worked
Ethier recruited two participants, Melody and Dennis, to test each exercise alongside him, using specialised equipment that measured oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to estimate energy expenditure.
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‘We’re using three of us to test every exercise because different body types and fitness levels may not all respond the same way,’ he explains.
First, the three walked 10,000 steps to establish a baseline. Ethier burned 418 calories, Melody burned 438 and Dennis burned 342, with the walk taking more than 90 minutes.
They then tested 11 alternatives to determine how quickly each could match the calorie expenditure of 10,000 steps.
Which Exercises Burned the Most Calories?
Japanese walking involves alternating three minutes of brisk walking with three minutes at a slower pace, repeated for 30 minutes.
Ethier burned 144 calories in 30 minutes, while Dennis burned 114. Melody, however, burned 249 calories.
‘She actually managed to get her heart rate quite high and it stayed relatively high even during the slower intervals,’ explains Ethier.
2. Home Jogging
This involves jogging lightly on the spot, taking small steps to a consistent beat while staying upright and relaxed.
While the group recorded slightly higher heart rates than during regular walking, calorie expenditure was broadly similar.
‘Every 10 minutes equating to roughly 1,000 steps, it makes for a great alternative to walking if you’re stuck inside or simply want to get some extra calorie burn while watching TV,’ says Ethier.
3. Bodyweight Squats
The group performed air squats at a pace of 30 reps per minute, using a metronome to maintain consistency.
Ethier burned 81 calories in 10 minutes, Melody burned 78 and Dennis burned 29.
For Ethier and Melody, this was almost twice the calorie expenditure of regular walking, although maintaining that pace for an extended period proved challenging.
4. Vibration Plates
Vibration plates are machines that generate rapid vibrations while you stand on them, with the aim of stimulating muscle contractions.
Despite using the highest setting, the group burned just 22–33 calories in 10 minutes, only marginally more than standing still.
5. Rebounding
Rebounding involves jumping on a mini trampoline, often to music.
After 10 minutes, Ethier burned 62 calories, Melody burned 66 and Dennis burned 41.
While this was below some of the calorie-burning claims associated with rebounding, it still outperformed regular walking for all three participants.
Rucking involves walking while carrying additional weight, typically in a weighted vest or loaded backpack.
The group wore 20lb weighted vests for a 20-minute walk, with Ethier burning 108 calories, Melody 128 and Dennis 91.
Despite feeling considerably harder, rucking increased calorie expenditure by approximately 20–30% compared with regular walking.
7. Incline Walking
Incline walking involves walking uphill, either outdoors or on a treadmill. For this test, the group walked at 3mph on a 9% incline for 20 minutes.
Ethier burned 166 calories, Melody 252 and Dennis 124, making it one of the most effective exercises tested.
‘The incline forces your big lower-body muscles like your quads and glutes to work harder. And the higher the incline, the harder these muscles work,’ explains Ethier.
8. Cycling
The group cycled indoors for 20 minutes at a self-selected, comfortable pace.
Ethier burned 130 calories, Melody burned 119 and Dennis burned 88.
Although cycling offered a slight advantage over regular walking, Ethier found that calorie expenditure largely depended on how hard each participant was willing to work.
9. Burpees
The participants attempted to complete 100 burpee reps in 10 minutes.
Ethier managed all 100, burning 128 calories, while Melody completed 85 and burned 95 calories.
An additional measurement of post-exercise calorie expenditure revealed a modest afterburn effect, increasing the total by approximately 10%.
10. StairMaster
The StairMaster is a machine that simulates climbing a continuous flight of stairs, challenging the legs and cardiovascular system.
The group completed 20 minutes at level 7, with Ethier burning 224 calories, Melody 300 and Dennis 136.
It was one of the highest-calorie-burning exercises tested, particularly for Melody.
11. Sprint Intervals
The final test involved alternating all-out sprints with short walking recoveries over 10 minutes.
Including post-exercise calorie expenditure, Ethier burned 95 calories, Melody 96 and Dennis 61.
Despite the high intensity, the recovery periods reduced the average calorie burn, meaning sprint intervals didn’t outperform some of the longer, sustained activities.
What Is the Best Alternative to 10,000 Steps?
While the StairMaster, incline walking and burpees proved particularly effective at increasing calorie expenditure, Ethier stresses that this doesn’t mean you should abandon your daily walks.
‘I just don’t want people to take this literally and just not do any walking. I think it shows how even plain old walking, it does burn calories and it’s very easy to do,’ he says.
Instead, the findings suggest that incorporating more demanding activities can help increase calorie expenditure when you’re short on time.
‘Whether it’s incline walking, jogging around your living room, or plain old walking, the best exercise is rarely the one that burns the most, but the one you can actually stick to,’ he adds.
It’s worth noting that this was a small, informal experiment involving just three people, rather than a controlled scientific study. Calorie expenditure will vary according to body weight, fitness level and exercise intensity, and burning more calories doesn’t automatically translate to greater fat loss without considering overall energy balance.
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Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
