Losing weight is difficult for many people, but keeping the weight off can be even harder. Doctors and researchers have long known that many people who successfully lose weight eventually gain some or all of it back within a few years.
Now, new research suggests that one simple habit may help people maintain their weight loss over the long term: walking around 8,500 steps each day.
The findings will be presented at the 2026 European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey, and will also be published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Researchers say the study provides new evidence that maintaining higher daily step counts may help prevent weight regain after dieting.
Obesity remains one of the biggest public health challenges worldwide. Excess body weight increases the risk of many serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint problems, and some cancers.
Although many people can lose weight through dieting or lifestyle programs, maintaining the results is often extremely difficult.
Professor Marwan El Ghoch from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy explained that preventing weight regain is one of the greatest challenges in obesity treatment.
According to the researchers, around 80 percent of people who lose weight eventually regain part or all of it within three to five years.
Scientists have been searching for practical and affordable strategies that help people maintain long-term weight loss.
Walking has often been recommended because it is simple, inexpensive, and accessible for many people. However, researchers say there has been surprisingly little evidence showing how daily step counts affect long-term weight maintenance.
To investigate this question, researchers carried out a large systematic review and meta-analysis. This type of research combines data from many previous studies to identify overall patterns more clearly.
The scientists reviewed 18 randomized controlled trials and included 14 studies in the final analysis. Together, the studies involved 3,758 adults from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan.
Participants had an average age of 53 years and an average body mass index of 31, which falls into the obesity category.
The studies compared people enrolled in lifestyle modification programs with control groups that either followed diets alone or received no treatment.
The lifestyle programs combined dietary advice with recommendations to increase walking and monitor daily steps.
Researchers measured step counts and body weight during both the weight loss phase and a later maintenance phase designed to help people avoid regaining weight.
At the beginning of the studies, participants in both groups walked a similar number of steps each day, averaging around 7,200 steps.
During the weight loss phase, participants in the lifestyle modification programs increased their daily walking to an average of 8,454 steps per day.
During this period, they lost an average of 4.39 percent of their body weight, which was roughly equal to about 4 kilograms.
Importantly, participants continued maintaining higher step counts during the maintenance phase, averaging around 8,241 steps per day.
They also managed to keep off most of the weight they had lost. On average, participants maintained a long-term weight loss of around 3.28 percent, or roughly 3 kilograms.
The researchers found a clear relationship between higher daily step counts and lower risk of weight regain.
People who increased their walking during the initial weight loss period and continued staying active afterward were more successful at maintaining their results.
Interestingly, researchers found that walking more was not strongly linked to greater weight loss during the early dieting phase itself.
They believe this may be because calorie reduction usually has a much larger effect on short-term weight loss than physical activity alone.
However, walking appeared to play a more important role in helping people avoid regaining weight later.
Researchers say this finding is important because many people become discouraged after regaining weight following successful dieting.
The study suggests that regular walking may help support long-term weight management in a practical and sustainable way.
Another important advantage is that walking requires no expensive equipment, gym memberships, or complicated exercise routines.
For many people, especially older adults or individuals with limited fitness levels, walking may be one of the easiest forms of physical activity to maintain consistently.
The researchers also noted that lifestyle modification programs may provide additional benefits beyond weight control, including improvements in heart health, blood pressure, blood sugar control, mood, and overall physical fitness.
Still, the researchers caution that the study does not prove walking alone causes weight maintenance. Other factors, including dietary habits, motivation, social support, and overall lifestyle changes, likely also contribute to long-term success.
Even so, the evidence suggests that aiming for around 8,500 steps each day may be a realistic target for people trying to avoid weight regain after dieting.
Professor El Ghoch said increasing daily steps to approximately 8,500 per day represents a simple and affordable strategy that may help many people maintain their weight loss.
Overall, the findings highlight the importance of long-term habits rather than short-term dieting alone. Sustainable daily activity may play a key role in helping people maintain healthier body weight over time.
The findings will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2026 and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
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