We're constantly looking for easy workouts to lose weight and keep it off, and researcher Ashley Goodwin, PhD, has turned us on to the easiest one yet. Nicknamed microwalking, it was created by scientists looking for the minimum number of extra steps we need to take daily to see health benefits (including weight loss). Turns out, 1,000 steps goes a long way.
During an ongoing study of sedentary people asked to walk 1,000 extra steps a day, a kidney-transplant patient has already shed over 50 pounds; meanwhile, a Florida grandma is down 66 pounds. "People hear they should walk 10,000 steps a day, but if you're busy or have physical limitations, it can be too much at first," says Goodwin. "The best exercise is exercise you'll actually do." Read on to learn about the big impact of microwalking for weight loss.
Microwalking is scientists' new obsession
Goodwin helps lead the MOST Walking Study, a clinical trial sponsored by New York's Northwell Health network, the NIH and Columbia University. Final results, due next year, will shed light on how adding 1,000 steps a day can impact overall heart disease risk and key cardiovascular health risk factors like blood pressure and body weight.
Why 1,000 steps? Inspiration came from a 2023 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, including more than 225,000 people, which linked at least 2,337 daily steps to a reduced risk of deadly cardiac issues. For every 1,000 steps above that, the risk dropped significantly more.
The findings were observed in people living however they chose; Goodwin's team wanted to see what would happen if inactive folks purposely added 1,000 steps daily. "It's such an easy and sustainable target," she notes.
Short walks deliver big health benefits
For most of us, sneaking in 1,000 steps burns 50 calories, give or take. So it's not about calories, but rather a jump start for the body: Evidence shows that breaking up long periods of sitting with tiny bursts of physical activity helps rev circulation, improve metabolism, lower stress, enhance focus and more.
There's even a 2023 Columbia University study that found microwalking throughout the day helps bring down blood sugar by as much as 58 percent. Good things happen as we walk 1,000 steps, say scientists. And benefits don't just add up, they multiply. Especially when it comes to fat burn.
Microwalking for weight loss: Enter the fat-loss zone
Power walking can help us get fit, but pushing hard during walks burns mostly carbs, the easiest fuel for our body to access when under stress. Because microwalking is typically done at a gentle pace, it allows the body to dip into its storage tanks, "so you predominantly burn fat," Goodwin notes.
Multiple smaller walks enhance the effect, according to a 2024 University of Milan study. It found that 30-second stints of walking actually spike fat burn by 60 percent compared to walking the same distance at a steady pace. The Italian team compared it to a car guzzling extra gas when you first step on the ignition.
Bonus: Goodwin says fat burn caused by microwalks helps stimulate little power plants in each cell called mitochondria to boost energy and brainpower. "A little consistent walking can tie so many health benefits together," she says.
Small step goals create momentum
The hope with microwalking isn't just that you'll add 1,000 extra steps a day, but that you'll get in the habit of moving more, that you'll build stamina and confidence and that you'll realize how good moving makes you feel. So you'll naturally add more and more steps as you start walking daily.
And as that gets you in better shape, you may find yourself making healthier meal choices. "When people start microwalking, they tend to have a very positive experience," says Goodwin. "And when you feel good, you want to do things to feel even better in the long term." You build momentum. "One good habit leads to another and then another."
How to start microwalking for weight loss
To start, use any step-counting device (most cell phones have them built in) and track yourself on a normal day. Then simply aim to walk about 1,000 steps more than usual. Make it a habit and let momentum build, eventually adding lots of little lifestyle changes with the goal of transforming your wellbeing for the better. That's exactly what happened for women who reported losing weight during Goodwin's study. It also happened for New Mexico mom Javana Buehler, 43.
Microwalking success story: How Javana lost 105 lbs
Javana, a busy mom who also runs an event production business with her husband, has always been good at getting things done -- except when it comes to her weight. "I'd start a diet, eat nothing bad and exercise nonstop," she recalls. "But I couldn't sustain the level I set for myself. So I'd give up."
She says she might still be starting and quitting new diets if she hadn't been diagnosed with skin cancer. Undergoing treatment, "I was told fat feeds cancer cells, so I wanted to find a solution and get in shape for good." She connected with health coach Lisa Asbell, who preaches the power of small steps and encouraged Javana to try microwalking.
"I said, hey, I'm just gonna walk around my block every day," Javana shares. "Within a month, I was already sleeping better, which made it easier to eat better." Javana gradually started to walk farther. "I listened to my body and did what felt right, whether that was one minute or five minutes."
Javana stayed consistent and kept making little changes -- like increasing her protein intake and trying water aerobics. These days, she'll often put on a podcast and stroll for an hour. "If I don't walk now, I don't feel good. I really crave the increased energy it gives me," she says. "I will say it was hard to make myself start with small steps, but I'm very glad I did." Javana is down 105 pounds so far.