Can We Really Lose Weight By Walking?
While it may seem silly or impossible to lose weight by walking, all physical activity, regardless of what it is, can burn fat to help us lose weight.
Most experts agree that walking is one of the best exercises we can do daily. The more often and faster we walk, the more calories we’re going to burn. We don’t have to hit the gym five days a week if we don’t want to; we can simply take a couple of walks throughout the day.
How Walking Helps With Weight Loss
Walking is an easy way for beginners to start their exercise routine without affording a gym membership or equipment. It’s low-impact, so even those with injuries or sore joints can partake in it without putting too much pressure on their body.
It’s been said that we can burn over 160 calories by walking moderately for 30-minutes a day. One study found that obese women who walked between 50 to 70 minutes a day reduced their total body fat by 1.5%, and their waist circumference dropped down a little over 1-inch over the course of 3 months.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Walks
Some of us will spend time walking until we decide to take up running. However, not everyone has a desire or is in the condition to run. That being said, there are ways we can get the most out of our walks to help increase and improve our chances of losing weight.
- Choose routes that have hills and pick the paths that lead uphill.
- Walk at a faster pace (it’s ok if you have to work your way to increased speeds).
- Include bodyweight exercises.
- Walk longer distances.
- Wear the correct type of footwear to keep yourself comfortable.
- Move those arms.
- Walk on various surfaces like sand.
While walking can definitely help us lose weight, there are things we should consider. For instance, if we’re consuming more calories than we’re burning, we won’t see any positive results. We have to be mindful of our food choices if we want to see progress.
As we’ve said, walking burns calories, which is essential for weight loss. Adding half an hour of walking to our daily routine allows us the opportunity to burn at least 150 more calories than we would if we didn’t walk.
Remember, the more often we walk, and the faster our pace is, the higher our chances will be of losing weight. It all starts with taking the first step; from there, we must continue moving. There might be days the weather doesn’t permit you to enjoy walking outdoors. In that case, you can skip a day or walk around your house.