It’s Tough, But Burns Fat 4x Faster Than 10K Steps/Day

Summary

Jeremy Ethier and participants Melody and Dennis tested 11 activities to see how quickly each could match the calorie burn of 10,000 steps. They wore breathing masks that measured oxygen and carbon dioxide to estimate calories. The tests took place over three days, and results varied with body size, fitness, and effort.

Activity results

• 10,000 steps — baseline (about 1½ hours): Jeremy burned 418 calories, Melody 438, and Dennis 342. Their results suggested a rough estimate of daily walking calories: body weight in pounds × 2.7. Walking was slow, but relatively easy to sustain.
• Japanese interval walking (30 minutes): They alternated three minutes of slow walking with three minutes of fast walking. Jeremy and Dennis struggled to raise their heart rates and burned 144 and 114 calories; Melody, whose heart rate stayed higher, burned 249. Matching the 10,000-step burn would take roughly 90 minutes for Jeremy and Dennis, but about 53 minutes for Melody.
• Home jogging (10 minutes): Following a steady beat, they jogged lightly in place. Their heart rates rose faster than during ordinary walking, though sore feet and calves made the movement tiring. Calorie burn was generally close to a one-for-one substitute for walking, making it a convenient indoor option.
• Air squats (10 minutes): Squats burned 81 calories for Jeremy, 78 for Melody, and 29 for Dennis. They were fast calorie burners for Jeremy and Melody, but difficult to sustain. The video also notes research suggesting brief squat breaks may help control blood sugar after meals.
• Vibration plate (10 minutes): The machine produced little more than standing-level calorie burn: 28 for Jeremy, 22 for Dennis, and 33 for Melody. The video questions the strength of the research cited in support of the device.
• Rebounding (10 minutes): Bouncing on mini-trampolines proved fun and coordination-heavy. They burned 62, 41, and 66 calories, respectively—more than ordinary walking for all three, but below some online claims.
• Rucking (20 minutes): Walking with a 20-pound vest raised calorie burn by roughly 20–30% over regular walking. Jeremy burned 108 calories, Dennis 91, and Melody 128.
• Incline walking (20 minutes at 3 mph and a 9% incline): With hands off the machine, Jeremy burned 166 calories, Dennis 124, and Melody 252—the best result so far for all three. The incline made their leg muscles work harder.
• Cycling (20 minutes at a comfortable, self-selected pace): Jeremy burned 130 calories, Melody 119, and Dennis 88. The results highlighted how much self-paced exercise depends on how hard each person chooses to work.
• Burpees (10 minutes): Melody completed 85, Jeremy 100, and Dennis 73. Jeremy burned 128 calories, Melody 95, and Dennis 45; a brief post-exercise measurement added a modest afterburn boost. Burpees ranked highly for Jeremy and came close for Melody, but were not as effective for Dennis.
• StairMaster (20 minutes at speed seven): Jeremy burned 224 calories, Melody 300, and Dennis 136. Melody pushed hardest, with her heart rate reaching 175. Despite Dennis leaning on the machine, it was the top calorie burner for him and Melody, and second for Jeremy.
• Sprints (10 minutes of hard efforts with walking recoveries): Dennis surprised Jeremy with his effort, but much of the session was spent recovering. Including the afterburn, Jeremy burned 95 calories, Dennis 61, and Melody 96.

Takeaway

At the end, Jeremy chose incline walking for Dennis, the StairMaster for himself, and the StairMaster as Melody’s top measured burner. Melody said she preferred incline walking, so Jeremy offered her a treadmill for home use.

The central takeaway was that the most effective exercise is not necessarily the one with the highest calorie tally, but the one someone can keep doing. Ordinary walking still counts.

Presenters and participants

Jeremy Ethier (presenter), Melody, and Dennis.

Studies and sources mentioned

• Research on Japanese interval walking
• A study on squat breaks and blood-sugar control
• A study of whole-body vibration training