• With each 1 percent increment in step variability, there was an increase in energy consumption.
• READ MORE: Experts claim that 10,000 steps per day isn’t a guaranteed solution.

Reaching 10,000 steps daily has become a common health objective for many people around the world.

However, a more efficient alternative might prove effective for shedding pounds, according to experts.

Walking with an irregular pace might aid in burning more calories compared to taking evenly measured strides, according to research.

American researchers monitoring the activity of 18 fit participants found that for each 1 percent increment in stride variation, there was a corresponding 0.7 percent hike in energy consumption.

The study indicated that inconsistent step lengths 'have a minor but notable impact' on the energy expended during walking, according to the researchers.

The team failed to gauge the number of calories burnt by the participants.

Nevertheless, Adam Grimmitt, a co-author of the study and an expert in exercise physiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst stated, 'It seems reasonable to conclude that greater frequency and magnitude of fluctuations in stride length could lead to an increased metabolic rate during walking.'

In this study, the participants—ranging from 24 years old with an average weight of approximately 11 stone 1 pound (70.5 kg)—were instructed to walk at their usual pace for five minutes on a treadmill.

A motion capture system documented their typical stride length at a usual pace of 1.2 meters per second.

They subsequently adjusted their pace during a second 5-minute treadmill walking session by illuminating specific areas for the participants to target with their steps.

Positions were altered by as much as five and 10 percent below or above the typical stride length.

Each volunteer was additionally equipped with a mouthpiece that measured their carbon dioxide output rate, which increases during physical activity.

The discoveries, shared on a pre-print server, bioRxiv The researchers suggest that when individuals have to transition between taking small steps and large steps to sustain their balance, it could lead to increased muscle contractions and higher metabolic costs.

'Their findings indicate that a 2.7 percent rise in step length variability could lead to a 1.7 percent increase in the energy required for walking,' they noted.

'The variation in step length moderately but importantly influences the energy expenditure associated with walking.'

The research might be most applicable to elderly individuals, especially those with neurological disorders, since their walking patterns show 'higher step length variability,' they added.

Researchers, however, admitted that adjusting lengths in 5 percent increments differs from actual variations observed in how people walk.

The participants still found it difficult to maintain precision when adjusting their stride lengths without extra guidance, they noted.

'Future research ought to measure the precision of foot placement and muscular activity across comparable virtual projections.'

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