Everything You Should Know About Walking for Weight Loss

Are you tired of dealing with stubborn body fat that just won’t go no matter how much you diet?

Has your doctor told you to lose weight and adopt a more healthy lifestyle? Do you have to listen to taunts about your weight every day and want to do something about it? Look no further because we’ve got you covered.

While there is a variety of exercise options available, walking is accessible to all types of people because it’s free and requires no equipment or trainer to conduct it. You can take a walk in the park, in your neighborhood, or even in your home. All you need is the motivation to start.

Want to learn more about the benefits of walking and how to use it to lose weight? Read on to find out more.

Pros of Using Walking as a Weight Loss Tool

Walking is a low-impact exercise that has innumerable advantages for people of all ages, genders, and fitness levels. In a world that inclines towards diet pills, crash diets, and weight loss injections, putting on your joggers and going out for a walk seems cheaper and far more productive. That’s because walking can help you burn calories, reduce belly fat, and preserve lean muscle while you run errands or go from one place to another. But how do a few thousand steps actually do that? Let’s find out!

Burns Calories

According to fitness instructors, walking is one of the easiest ways to burn calories because you can do it at any time of the day wherever you are. The only thing that it requires is consistency and a build-up of pace. Take a look at the table below to discover how many calories walking burns:

Other factors that can impact the calorie burn count include the following:

• Age, gender, and height
• Your pace and activity level
• Actual distance covered
• Whether you’re walking uphill or downhill
• The amount of breaks you take in between

Is the calculation too much to handle? This can be a sign for you to invest in a fitness tracker that will not only do a step count but will also serve as a calorie tracker. It can also motivate you to add more steps to your lifestyle every day.

It is essential to note that to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Preserves Lean Muscle

When you start losing weight through diets and starvation, your body loses both fat and muscle. Losing muscle can be ineffective in the longer term because muscles are metabolically active and can help in building stamina and losing weight. Alternatively, if you use exercise as a weight loss tool, it can prevent this effect by preserving lean muscle and boosting metabolism.

Reduces Fat and Tones Your Body

Walking and aerobics are considered to be one of the most effective ways to reduce stubborn belly (visceral) fat. Studies show that walking 20 to 30 minutes a day can reduce your belly fat by 1 inch in a month!

On the other hand, walking at a fast pace or on an incline strengthens your leg and thigh muscles, Want to tone your legs even more? Find hilly or steep areas that you can walk on to build up more muscle. You can also include resistance training exercises, such as:

• Lunges
• Squats
• Burpees
• Pushups
• Burpees
• Tricep Dips

Research shows that people are more likely to continue exercising if they enjoy doing it or if it is not too physically demanding. Since it is only moderately intense, therefore, it is enjoyable for people to keep up with.

Maintains Weight

When you use shortcuts to lose weight, chances are you’re going to gain it all back pretty soon.

With a consistent workout routine, you can control your body weight by burning calories and building lean muscle.

To maintain your weight, fitness experts recommend walking at least 30 minutes for 5 days a week.

Other Health Benefits of Walking

In addition to being a low-impact exercise that is free and accessible for all, walking has a lot of health advantages as well.

Strengthens Cardiovascular Health

Moderate physical activity, such as walking, improves the blood and oxygen flow from the heart to the body, improving cardiovascular health while simultaneously reducing the risk of lifelong diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. It also decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (good) cholesterol, increasing the quality of life.

For elderly people, consistent walking can help maintain their current weight which is essential since old people tend to gain 0.5 kg per year.

Relieves Joint Pain

Walking lubricates the joints and strengthens the muscles and bones that support these joints. It can be especially helpful for people suffering from arthritis and can significantly reduce their pain, reducing the risk of osteoporosis as well.

Slows Down Mental Decline

Regular exercise improves the flow of oxygen to the brain, reducing inflammation and slowing down mental decline. It also plays a vital role in reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Boosts Energy Levels

Physical activity, such as walking, running, swimming, or aerobics, causes the release of endorphins and serotonin that relieve feelings of depression and elevate your mood. Exercise also reduces the cortisol and adrenaline levels in our system, reducing stress and anxiety, and making you feel more content and happy afterward.

Life Extension

According to research, walking at a normal pace 5 times a week can increase your life span by 20 percent. If you start walking at a faster pace, you increase your life span by 24 percent.

More benefits of walking include:

1. Strengthening the immune system
2. Maintaining stamina and endurance
3. Control blood sugar and blood pressure
4. Improve cognitive function

Tips and Tricks for Using Walking to Reduce Weight

Want to start your weight loss journey by walking? We would advise you to start slow. If you start with more than you can handle, you will be too tired to continue the next day. This can leave you exhausted and unmotivated and you will end up making excuses for not doing it.

Start small. Set a goal you can achieve. And be consistent.

Once you’ve achieved consistency, you can start going the extra mile by increasing the duration and frequency to make it more effective.

Your Pace Matters

It is a commonly known fact that walking helps burn calories. For every mile you walk, you will burn approximately 100 calories. If you take a brisk walk or start jogging, you will burn approximately 8 calories per minute, but if you stroll around the park, you will burn 5 calories per minute. So while a brisk walk might take 12 minutes, it will take 20 or more minutes for you to burn the same amount of fat if you’re taking a leisurely stroll.

We leave it up to you to define the duration and pace of your walk.

Walk on an Incline

When you walk on an incline or stairs, you need more energy and muscle to go through with it. For effective weight loss, consider walking on an incline at least twice or thrice per week. You can do this by either finding a steep road that goes uphill or by increasing the gradient of your treadmill if you work out at home.

Wear a Weighted Vest

Adding extra weight to your body will assist you in burning weight faster. A person who weighs more will automatically lose more weight than a person with a lower weight since their body has more energy to burn. On top of that, wearing a weighted vest will force you to work harder during your exercise.

Introduce Power Walking

An effective way to use walking as a way to lose weight is by power walking. To do this, you should start your walking routine by warming up for 5 to 10 minutes. Once you’ve warmed up, increase your speed to an uncomfortable point for approximately 15 to 20 seconds before returning to your normal speed. Keep repeating this process throughout your walk.

You can also add breaks in between power walks to incorporate more of them during your exercise time.

Taking Short Walks 

Don’t have time to fit a long walk in your schedule? No problem! Plan multiple short walks throughout the day. Studies show that for people above 65 years, walking for 10 to 15 minutes after every meal can be effective in controlling blood sugar and high blood pressure.

Change Your Routine

Walking can quickly become boring if done at the same time in the same duration at the same place. Want to shake things up? Here are a few tips to make your routine more interesting:

• Modify your route—Sometimes a simple route change can spice up your exercise. Walk in a different neighborhood, go to a park, or take a mountain trail
• Change your walking time—If you walk in the morning, go for an evening walk instead. If you walk for 30 minutes, try multiple 10-minute walks
• Listen to music or a podcast— Walks don’t have to be boring. You can always match your steps to an upbeat track. Music is not your thing? Listen to an audiobook or a podcast instead
• Walk with a friend—Not only does walking with a friend motivate you but it also distracts you when you’re getting tired

How Much Weight Can You Lose by Walking an Hour per Day?

If you’re serious about losing weight, the first thing you need to do is lay off the sugary and oily goods. While any form of physical activity will increase metabolism and burn calories, you will still need to follow a calorie-restricted diet to lose weight.

One pound of your body weight is equal to approximately 3500 calories so to lose one pound a week, you will need to reduce calories by 500 per day to lose one pound per week. Add an hour of walking to this, and you will be fitter before you know it!

What Is The Ideal Posture for Walking?

You might start your walk with the perfect posture and 20 minutes in, you’re slumping. A lot of us won’t even realize that our posture is incorrect and can increase the risk of muscle aches, fatigue, and injuries. Therefore, it is essential to keep your posture correct because it improves balance and stability and keeps your bones and joints aligned.

To maintain the best walking posture, here’s what you need to keep in mind:

1. Keep your head up and chin tucked in
2. Elongate and straighten your back to prevent hunching
3. Pull your navel towards your spine to tighten it
4. Swing your arms back and forth from your shoulders
5. Keep your shoulders relaxed, down and back
6. Walk from heel to toe, not the other way round

How To Incorporate More Steps Into Your Daily Routine

Although many people would like to use walking as a tool to lose weight, they might not be able to take time out from their busy routines to incorporate it. If that’s your case, you can try to add more steps to your existing routine to build a more active lifestyle. Here is how you can do it:

• Wear a fitness tracker and aim to hit at least 10,000 steps per day
• Take the stairs instead of an escalator or life
• Step off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way
• Take your child (or pet) for a walk in the neighborhood
• Go for a walk every time you use your phone
• Make a routine of taking a walk after dinner every day
• Invite a friend or family member to walk with you
• Join a walking or running group

The Bottom Line

Walking is an excellent low-impact activity that can assist in weight loss while also providing other health benefits. The important thing to consider is calculating your calorie intake and intensifying your workout routine if you want to see results quickly.

Use Trojan’s Home Gym Equipment To Lose Weight

Don’t like the outdoorsy walking style? Want to get your exercise at home? Look no further because Trojan Fitness has all sorts of gym equipment to cater to your specific requirements. Whether you are looking for treadmills or exercise bikes, we have got you covered!

Explore our complete range of affordable equipment on our website. Say goodbye to hefty membership fees and hello to a budget-friendly workout at home!

Disclaimer:
The information provided on this website is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or medical advice. We make every effort to ensure the information provided is accurate and up-to-date, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. Always consult a qualified professional before making any significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle. We are not responsible for any adverse consequences resulting from the use of, or reliance on, any information provided on this website.