Losing weight is difficult but keeping it off may be even harder. A new study now suggests that a simple daily habit, walking, could make a major difference in preventing lost weight from returning after dieting.
Research presented this week at the European Congress on Obesity 2026 found that walking roughly 8,500 steps per day may significantly improve long-term weight maintenance after weight loss.
Many weight-loss programs already encourage participants to become more physically active. Until now, however, evidence remained unclear on whether increasing daily step counts could truly help prevent weight regain, one of the biggest challenges in obesity treatment.
“The greatest challenge in obesity care is not losing weight, but preventing it from coming back,” said Marwan El Ghoch of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
According to the researcher, nearly 80% of overweight or obese individuals who initially lose weight regain some or all of it within three to five years.
To investigate the role of walking, researchers conducted a large review and meta-analysis of previous clinical trials involving adults from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. In total, the analysis included 3,758 participants with an average age of 53.
The studies compared people enrolled in structured lifestyle-modification programs with control groups that either followed diet plans alone or received no intervention.
Participants in the lifestyle programs combined dietary guidance with increased daily walking and step tracking. At the beginning of the studies, both groups averaged just over 7,000 steps per day.
By the end of the weight-loss phase, however, participants in the intervention programs had increased their activity levels to an average of 8,454 daily steps and lost nearly 4% of their body weight roughly four kilograms on average.
The most striking findings emerged during the maintenance phase. Participants who continued averaging around 8,200 to 8,500 steps per day were able to keep most of the lost weight off over time.
Researchers also identified a clear link between higher daily step counts and a lower risk of weight regain.
Interestingly, walking itself did not appear to significantly increase the initial amount of weight lost, likely because calorie reduction plays a stronger role during the early stages of dieting.
Still, the researchers say maintaining roughly 8,500 daily steps may offer a practical, low-cost strategy for people trying not only to lose weight, but also to keep it off long term.
The findings were also published in the scientific journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.