Easy weight loss: Walking on sand or grass, which is better? Difference in calories burned is more than two times

Walking is often treated as a simple way to stay active, but the surface under your feet can change how hard your body has to work. A walk on grass and a walk on loose sand may look almost identical from a distance, yet the energy needed for each step can be quite different. For people trying to lose body fat, that raises an interesting question: is walking on sand actually better than walking on grass?

Research suggests that loose, dry sand can make walking considerably more demanding. But the exact difference depends on the type of sand, walking speed, distance and how accustomed a person is to the surface.

Sand can make walking much more demanding

One of the key findings comes from a 1998 study by Thierry Lejeune, Patrick Willems and Norman Heglund, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The researchers compared movement on dry sand with movement on a hard surface and used oxygen consumption to estimate energy expenditure.


They found that walking on dry sand at the same speed required between 2.1 and 2.7 times more metabolic energy than walking on a hard surface.

An earlier 1992 study by Pietro Zamparo and colleagues also found a sizeable difference. In that experiment involving nine adults, the energy cost of walking faster than 3 km/h was around 1.8 times higher on sand than on compact terrain.

That does not mean every walk on every beach will burn exactly twice as many calories. The studies were small and were conducted under controlled conditions.

Why does sand burn more energy?

The main reason is simple: sand moves under your feet.

On a firm surface, the ground provides a stable base and helps the body move forward efficiently. Loose sand gives way when the foot lands. The foot can sink, grains move around and some of the energy produced by the muscles is effectively lost in deforming the surface.

That means the legs have to work harder to push the body forward and maintain balance.

A more recent biomechanics study involving 21 adults also found that the depth to which the foot sinks into sand can affect walking mechanics. So, deep, dry sand is not the same as compact sand near the water.

Grass offers a middle ground

Grass is generally more stable than loose sand, although natural grass can still be uneven. Walking on it can involve stabilising muscles and may feel slightly more demanding than walking on a perfectly smooth hard surface.

For someone starting a walking routine, grass can therefore be a practical option. It gives some variation in the ground without making every step as difficult as it can be on loose sand.

Sand, on the other hand, is more useful when the goal is to make an ordinary walk more physically demanding without simply increasing the pace.

Does more calorie burn mean more fat loss?

Not automatically.

The body-fat loss equation is not based on one walk or one type of ground. Overall calorie intake, regular physical activity, body weight, exercise duration and consistency all matter.

Also, the often-mentioned “2.7 times” figure refers to metabolic energy expenditure at the same speed. In real life, most people slow down when they move from firm ground to deep sand. That can reduce the difference in calories burned per minute.

So, while sand walking can be a harder workout, it should not be treated as a magic shortcut for losing body fat.

Sand or grass: which one should you choose?

If the main aim is to increase the effort of a walking session, loose sand has the advantage because research has found a substantially higher energy cost.

Grass may be the better choice for a longer, more comfortable walk, especially for someone who is not used to unstable surfaces. It also makes it easier to maintain a steady pace.

There is another point to keep in mind. The studies on sand do not mean barefoot walking is automatically better. Walking barefoot on unfamiliar or uneven sand can place extra demands on the feet and ankles. People who are not accustomed to it may need to build up gradually.