How To Lose Weight Walking
Walking is one of the easiest exercises you can do and it offers incredible health benefits.
Brisk walking helps you lose weight, develop and tone existing muscles, and even maintain bone density. And the best part is, you can incorporate walking for eight loss into your routine pretty easily.
Even a little bit of extra walking can make a big difference if you do it every day. Even just adding a deliberate 15 to 20 minutes of walking to your day can help you to lose a few hundred grams every single week, that’s before you set foot in your local EFM club!
How Many Calories Does Waling Burn?
Most people burn around 60 calories per kilometer of walking. If you walk 6 kilometers per hour (this is a fairly common walking speed), you will burn 360 calories for each hour of walking you do. This type of calorie expenditure really adds up when done consistently!
How much weight do you lose walking?
How much weight you’ll lose depends on your current body mass and the speed you walk at, but as a general guide, you can expect to lose around 500grams of body fat if you can walk one hour per day.
On the surface, this may not seem like much but considering the weight loss from walking doesn’t factor in any other dietary or lifestyle changes, you’re giving yourself a great start to your weight loss goals by dropping 1 kilogram every two weeks just from taking a daily stroll!
How far do I need to walk to lose weight?
In the early stages you should aim for 6,000 steps a day, eventually progressing to a standard target of 10,000 to 12,000 steps which equates to closely 8-10km. For those who are walking to remain active and maintain their weight then 10,000 to 12,000 steps is recommended. People who wish to use walking as an exercise to help lose weight are advised to aim for 15,000 daily steps.
How fast should I walk For Weight Loss?
The speed you walk determines how much energy you burn, but there is no specific pace you must keep with.
Walking is a progressive exercise and steadily you will become quicker as you become fitter in order to cover a greater distance in less time. Interval-style walking can be very helpful whereby you power walk for 30 to 60 seconds before slowing down to recover.
You repeat the short, sharp bursts and recovery process for the duration you walk. This approach to walking is an effective way to improve cardiovascular fitness and enhance your metabolism.
Tips For Losing Weight Walking
USE AN APP
One of the best ways to track your progress and stay motivated is to track your progress using a smartphone app. A good app will allow you to set a number of steps you want to take each day—10,000 steps is a common goal—and track your success in getting there. Some useful option are: Map My Walk, WalkMeter.com and Walk The Distance.
Should I Do 10,000 Steps Per Day For Weight Loss?
For most people, it is suggested that you aim for 10,000 steps per day to start consistently losing weight.
10,000 extra steps sounds like a lot but you’d be surprised how easy it is to incorporate the extra steps into your day. Here are some ideas for getting more walking into your day:
- Go outside for lunch – Getting out of the office is a great tactic. Just the act of walking outside of yoru office building each day can really see the steps add up. Can you find a spot 100m or 200m away? A place like this will be quick to get to and add steps to your daily tally.
- Take the stairs – Nobody really likes taking the stairs, but it is certainly more beneficial than taking an elevator. You’ll be amazed by how many more steps you’re taking by using the stairs.
- Walk to the supermarket – Forget to purchase something on your last big grocery shop? Need something from a convenience store a few blocks away? Walk there instead of taking your car.
- Walk to work – You don’t have to walk the whole way and you don’t have to walk both ways, but at least try walking to or from work in some capacity. Even something as simple as parking 500m away will work!
- Walk the kids to school – Do you usually drive the kids to school on your way to work? Leave a little earlier and walk them instead – it’s good for everyone.
- Park further away – Always park at least a block away from your destination and walk the extra distance
Walking is one of the easiest, most effective ways to lose weight and improve your overall health.
Incorporate more of it into your weekly exercise routine and you’ll reap the rewards.
How Walking Helps You Lose Weight
Although walking is thought of as a lower body exercise you actually use your arms, your legs, your back muscles all at the same time. When walking, pay attention to your posture. Stand tall, swing your arms and look ahead. Ensure that you do some easy stretches after walking and include the whole body, particularly your shoulders and arms.
Tips to Lose Weight Walking
- Get a walking partner
- Get comfortable walking shoes – this is good for your joints and will reduce any soreness
- Be consistent with your walking routine
- Start slow then increase your pace gradually as time goes by
- You have to deep-breathe while walking
- Swing your arms while walking to burn extra calories
- If there is a hill around, walk up to it!
Other Forms of Exercises For Losing Weight
General Weight Loss Tips
- Eat right – fewer carbs and more fibre foods.
- Don’t skip meals – aim to eat regularly in small portion sizes.
- Maintain hydration – Your body needs water to function optimally.
- Stay away from alcohol – It adds calories and causes you to feel sluggish.
- Set goals and follow them.
- Breakfast is very important – Never skip breakfast!
- Get a partner to help you on your weight loss journey
Walking is a fantastic low impact method of exercise which is enjoyable, sociable and if done right, an effective way of shedding that extra weight.
