Steady Walking: 8,500 Daily Steps Linked to Long-Term Weight Maintenance
A systematic review of 14 randomized trials (nearly 4,000 adults) found that increasing daily steps to about 8,500 and maintaining that level after weight loss is linked to better long-term weight maintenance; participants shed about 4.4% during the weight-loss phase and retained most of it (about 3.3%) in the maintenance phase, with steps rising from roughly 7,200–7,300 to about 8,450; you don’t need to reach 8,500 all at once—small daily changes can stack up, and nutrition remains foundational.