Research

Energy balance

Increasing daily step count by 2,000 steps serves as an effective, low-barrier behavioral intervention for preventing gradual weight gain in the general population.

To prevent gradual weight gain, do not aim for 10,000 steps if you currently walk less. Instead, use a pedometer to track your normal steps, then add exactly 2,000 steps to that number every day. This small increase burns roughly 100 calories, which can offset a small dietary indulgence (like a regular soda) and stop weight gain over time.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Colorado on the Move inspires people to make two small behavior changes to stop weight gain... 2) walking 2000 steps (about 100 kcal) more than usual.
Holly R. Wyatt et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2005

Why this rating

The paper provides baseline observational data and references prior small-scale success, but this specific text is a survey establishing baseline, not a randomized controlled trial of the intervention itself.

Source

A Colorado Statewide Survey of Walking and Its Relation to Excessive Weight

Holly R. Wyatt et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2005

DOI 10.1249/01.mss.0000161750.84096.d4

cross_sectional · n=1098Cited 139×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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