The number of calories burned while walking 5,000 steps in an hour differs significantly from the calories burned in the same distance covered in 30 minutes. Sounds bizarre, right! Yes, this is how walking needs to be understood. The same number of steps can yield different outcomes based on the duration and other activities involved due to the relationship between calorie burn, walking speed, and the body’s energy expenditure.
Although both walking durations are beneficial, those looking to maximize calorie burn and achieve a more intense workout would benefit from taking the longer duration into consideration. Here’s how.
When you are a fast walker, but finish 5k steps in one hour here are the benefits you are getting
What do you do when asked to finish 5k steps in an hour which otherwise you ideally take 30 mins to cover? You spend time stopping intermittently! Right?
When you walk in small bouts across an hour, each time you start moving, your metabolism ramps up. Every new bout of activity requires an initial burst of energy to get your muscles moving and heart rate up. These multiple “start-ups” increase calorie expenditure because the body needs energy to transition from a resting state to an active state repeatedly. In contrast, a continuous 30-minute walk maintains a steady calorie burn, but after the initial warm-up phase, the body adjusts to a relatively stable metabolic rate for the rest of the walk, resulting in fewer “spikes” in calorie expenditure.
The EPOC effect, or “afterburn,” is when the body continues to burn the calories post-physical activity as it returns to rest. There are several bouts of EPOC occurring with intermittent walking since, after every short walk, the body has to once again try to get back to its baseline state. With every small bout, the body has to put in a little extra work to replenish oxygen supplies, clean out waste, and normalize systems. This repeated recovery process burns more calories overall than during a single, continuous session where the EPOC effect is triggered only once.
Every time you walk short distances, your muscles must activate, relax, and then re-activate to burn more calories overall. This frequent activation and deactivation, even in small bouts, consumes more calories because muscles use energy not only to contract but also to recover and reset. Walking for an extended period of time allows muscles to find a rhythm; once the muscles are in motion, they use less energy to continue moving. Starting and stopping require muscles to expend more energy each time it’s done.
Every step you take spikes your heart rate and then requires energy for it to level out and stabilize. Increased variability also puts more of a strain on the cardiovascular system as well, burning up calories to adapt to the rapid changes. This approach adds up to a higher total calorie expenditure than a single, continuous 30-minute walk, making this another good way to optimize calorie burn over the course of the day.
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