Walking for Weight Loss: Proven Methods to Achieve Your Goals
Want to lose weight but hate going to the gym? Try walking instead!
For the majority of human history, walking was just a way to get from one place to another. But walking for weight loss is the easiest form of exercise, and if done right, it can help you shed weight while also offering a hoard of other health benefits.
Find out more about how walking regularly can improve your health and tips for getting started.
Is Walking Good for Weight Loss?
Brisk walking for weight loss is a form of moderate aerobic exercise, which is considered effective for weight loss.
Aerobic exercises are also called cardio workouts, and they increase your heart rate and breathing rate, which helps your body pump more oxygen and blood to your muscles. This helps you burn fat and build muscle, both of which are important for weight loss.
Walking or physical activity alone cannot help you lose much weight. Try making some changes to your diet in order to get better results.
How Much Should You Walk for Weight Loss?
You need to walk for at least 30 minutes every day to lose weight. You can burn more calories by walking for 45 minutes to one hour.
The pace you walk at is also important in determining the number of calories you are burning. You can use this calculator to figure out the calories you burned based on the pace and duration of your walk.
NOTE: Do you know what helps you burn more calories than walking? Running, of course! Check out this guide on how many calories you can burn running a mile, and what are the factors that can affect the number of calories you burn while running.
Walking For Weight Loss: 10 Tips
Want to know how to make your walking workout more effective? Try these tips!
1. Start Slow
If you are not in the habit of walking or exercising regularly, pushing yourself to work out for an hour on the first day may not be realistic.
Overdoing it in the initial stages can hurt your progress in the long run and could also cause injuries. So start slow and incorporate more walking into your routine gradually as your body gets used to the increased levels of physical activity.
2. Choose the Right Accessories
Having the right gear can enhance your exercise performance and keep you motivated to work out more. Wear shoes and clothes that keep you cool and are comfortable to walk in.
A smartwatch that can measure your heartbeat and step count can also help you track your progress and achieve your goals.
3. Stretch Before and After
Warm-up and cool-down exercises like stretches can help your body relax and loosen up. Performing physical activity when your muscles are tight and tense can make you more likely to sprain or injure them.
Stretching for 5 to 10 minutes before and after a workout can help prevent this.
4. Set a Goal
Having a fixed activity goal in the form of distance walked, number of steps or calories burned can increase your likelihood of sticking to your fitness routine. Raising your goals every one or two weeks can help you lose more weight.
5. Have a Water Bottle With You
Hydration is the key to keeping your energy levels up when walking. You lose a lot of moisture from your body in the form of sweat when you’re working out. Dehydration can give you headaches or make you feel tired. So drinking water while exercising can keep you going longer.
6. Wear Layers
Adding layers of clothing like jackets or sweatshirts on top of your workout clothes can help your body generate more heat. This helps you burn more calories.
7. Brisk Walking for Weight Loss
Upping your pace or walking up a slope can help make your muscles work harder to keep up. This can help you burn more fat and also help you tone your muscles.
8. Add Weights
Walking with hand weights or ankle weights burns more calories because of the extra energy needed to carry the added weight. However, the extra strain on your muscles can increase your chances of injury if you do not follow proper form while walking.
9. Walk With a Partner
Walking with your friends, family, or even a pet can make it more enjoyable and boost your mood. Besides losing weight, walking with a partner can help you relax and also improve your social relationships.
10. Add Strength Training to Your Exercise Routine
Along with walking, try to incorporate strength training into your routine at least twice a week.
Bodyweight training and resistance training exercises can help you build muscle. Your muscles require more energy to function on a daily basis, which helps you burn more calories and lose weight.
Strength training can also prevent muscle loss that is associated with regular aerobic exercise.
Looking for simple, effective ways to lose weight at home? From walking and cycling to targeted belly fat reduction exercises, explore the links below to discover workout routines that fit your lifestyle and help you reach your fitness goals.
| Get Fit with These Effective Weight Loss Exercises |
| Weight Loss Exercises At Home |
| How To Lose Weight Fast |
| Cycling For Weight Loss |
| Is Skipping Good For Weight Loss |
| Best Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat |
| How To Reduce Belly Fat |
What is the Best Time to Walk for Weight Loss?
If your goal is to burn fat, walking in the morning on an empty stomach would be the best time. Your body uses up the energy from dinner during the night, so any exercise you perform on an empty stomach will help you burn more fat. Make sure to have a protein-filled breakfast after your workout.
Walking in the morning also boosts your metabolism which helps burn more calories throughout the day.
What are the Other Health Benefits of Walking Every Day?
- Walking for 30 minutes every day can help lower your blood pressure levels and reduce your risk of developing hypertension.
- Regular walking can help lower your blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
- Walking can boost your metabolism and energy levels.
- Walking can also lift up your mood and improve your mental health.
- Walking can lower your stress levels and make you more productive.
- Walking regularly in the morning can reset your circadian rhythm and help you get better sleep.
Don’t Have Time To Read?
- Walking is the easiest way to exercise and is a great way to lose weight.
- Walking at a brisk pace is considered a form of aerobic exercise, which supplies your muscles with more oxygen to help them burn more fat.
- Walking for just 30 to 45 minutes a day can help you lose weight.
- Choose the right shoes and clothes to make your walk more comfortable, and use a smartwatch to track your daily activity. Stretch before and after walking every time to minimise the risk of injury.
- Set a goal for the number of steps, distance walked or calories burned every day. Have a water bottle with you to keep you hydrated and wear layers to increase the number of calories burned.
- Mornings are the best time to exercise for weight loss as walking on an empty stomach burns more calories.
- Walking gives you added health benefits like lowered blood pressure and blood sugar levels, improved mood and sleep, faster metabolism and lowered stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Walking 10,000 steps a day can help you lose about half a kilogram of weight every week. If you are not used to walking so much, start slow with around 3,000 steps a day and gradually increase your step count.
If you are obese (BMI>30) or overweight (BMI>25) try walking for at least 45 minutes to one hour every day for good weight loss results. If your BMI is normal (18 to 24.9), walking for 30 minutes a day can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Both cycling and walking count as aerobic exercises, and are both good options for weight loss. But if you don’t have much time in your daily schedule for exercise, cycling will help you burn more calories in a shorter period of time.
Walking is a form of exercise, and as such is a good way to lose weight. Try incorporating other forms of exercises like jogging, cycling, swimming, yoga, and strength training into your fitness routine to help your body burn more calories.
