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When most individuals think about weight loss, they typically think of spending hours in the gym lifting heavy weights, or sweating it out through some extreme workout. But you don’t need complicated training and expensive equipment to lose weight. In fact, one of the most effective, accessible and sustainable forms of exercise to achieve weight loss is a common activity nearly every human can perform: walking.
Walking may not seem as intense as running or doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but walking provides an impressive amount of benefits for weight management, health and long-term fitness. If you are a beginner, or if you are just looking to include more movement into your day, walking is a very simple yet powerful tool to incorporate into your daily life that can help you lose pounds and improve your health.
Why Walking Works for Weight Loss
Walking is very often downplayed because it doesn’t feel challenging. Walking is easily dismissed! But, that is why it works. Because walking is low impact, it does not pound on your joints or muscles as some of the more extreme workouts may be prone to do. Since walking is gentle on the body, there is no need for much recovery time before you can walk again, making it easy to do so on a daily basis. The more days you move, the more calories you burn. Its that simple. The key to weight loss is consistent movement!
On average, walking burns roughly 100 calories per mile for a person weighing roughly 70 kilos (155 lbs). While this may seem relatively low compared to vigorous exercise, the potential impact on the overall caloric deficit is significant. For example, if you walk briskly for 30 minutes per day (150-200 calories) for seven days, this equates to a caloric deficit of more than 1000 calories; after a month, you could save 4000 calories or more just from walking.
Walking and Fat Loss
Furthermore, another reason walking can contribute to weight loss is that walking uses primarily fat for energy. If you are walking at a consistent or moderate pace, your body will pull from stored fat as a fuel source. Therefore, walking is an excellent exercise for individuals wishing to primarily lose fat.
Many exercises, particularly high intensity or very intense types of exercise, will burn mostly carbohydrates; whereas, walking, while it is not super vigorous, will allow then to stay in what fitness trainers call a “fat burn zone.” This does not mean individuals should not exercise at higher intensities, as walking is specially advantageous in that it can create continued fat loss, without requiring the effort of high-intensity exercise.
Physical Health Perks of Walking
In addition to burning calories, walking yields numerous other health-related advantages that can help your weight loss goals:
Increased metabolism – With consistent walking, your metabolism increases, leading you to burn more calories even when at rest.
Heart health – Walking is a positive aerobic exercise for the cardiovascular system, leading to improved heart functioning and blood circulation.
Improved digestion – Often, a brisk walk after a meal helps facilitate digestion and prevents symptoms of discomfort such as bloating.
Muscle and bone strength – Walking is a great way to tone your leg, hip, and core muscles, and increase bone density.
Better sleep – Better sleep helps regulate certain hormones that play a role in hunger and appetite and contributes to maintaining weight loss targets.
Mental Health Perks of Walking
Weight loss is not only a function of the body; your mental health has an equal impact. Luckily, the mental health benefits from walking are overwhelming and can help you stick to your weight loss targets more seamlessly.
Reduces stress and anxiety – Walking reduces stress by lowering cortisol (the stress hormone) production. High levels of prolonged cortisol are linked to weight gain and is the contributing factor that leads to belly fat.
Provides a better mood – Regular walking helps release endorphins, natural brain chemicals known to reduce pain and improve mood while reducing symptoms of depression.
Enhances focus – A short walk can clear your mind that helps you to focus properly that will make you productive and will take you away from emotional eating.
Walking is a great source for your body and mind and helps you stick to your healthy habits, especially when you think better.
How to Use Walking Effectively for Weight Loss
While any walking is obviously good, there are ways to walk to maximize weight loss effects:
- Walk Briskly
To maximize calorie burn, walk at a brisk pace where you can talk but not sing along. Typically, brisk walking means about 5-6 km or mph. - Increase Time and Distance
Begin walking for anywhere from 20 – 30 minutes per day and progressively build up to 45 to 60 minutes. The longer you walk, the more calories you’ll burn. - Use Intervals
Use intervals of brisk walking followed by normal recovery walking. For example, walk briskly for 2 minutes, and then normal pace for 1 minute. Repeat this throughout your walk. - Use Hills or Stairs
Transitioning to climbing/uphill while walking increases intensity and increases the number of muscles used to accomplish the task which increases your calorie burn. - Be Consistent
The most important part of walking is being consistent – the more you can walk every day, the more you will make it part of your routine and lifestyle.
How to Make it Enjoyable
One of the best things about walking is that it is very easy to make enjoyable. Helpful ideas are:
Listen to music or podcasts: You can use your walk as an opportunity to listen to music, or catch up on mainstream or niche content and information with podcasts.
Walking with friends or family: Walking socially makes it fun, and strengthens relationships.
Finding scenic walking routes: Parks, beaches and nature trails are scenic and make walking more enjoyable and refreshing.
Tracking your steps: Using a fitness tracker or phone app will motivate you to reach your daily walking target of 8,000 – 10,000 steps.
Combining walking with a healthy diet
Walking by itself can lead to weight-loss benefits, but it is even better when combined with healthy eating habits. Weight loss occurs when there is a discrepancy between caloric intake and caloric expenditure. A successful weight-loss plan should incorporate walking and healthy eating into a whole foods lifestyle.
The focus should be:
Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains.
Limiting sugary drinks and processed foods.
Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and support effective walks.
Walking will reduce cravings and support appetite hormones that may make it easier to maintain sustainable healthy diet practices.
Why Walking is Sustainable?
Possibly the biggest advantage to walking being one of the best exercises is sustainability. Many people, even if they begin on an exercise program, quit either because they are unable to maintain a furious pace, in the case of running, or become frustrated that exercise just doesn’t fit into their daily routine. Since you do not have to schedule walking into your day, it makes it easy to do. If you do not want to walk for exercise, you can walk to work, walk instead of drive to the grocery store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or just walk in the evening to unwind.
Because walking is enjoyable, low-impact, and easily adaptable, it can quickly become a habit that you can keep for your life, and it is lifelong habits that lead to lasting weight loss.
Conclusion
Weight loss doesn’t have to be complex. Walking is the simplest solution for people everywhere. It is an effective exercise that is responsible for burning calories while reducing fat, improving health, and providing a great mood lift. Whether you are just starting to become active, or you are simply interested in a sustainable way of staying fit, walking works!
By walking every day and balancing a healthy, sustainable diet, you will lose weight and create a healthier and more energetic lifestyle. Sometimes the very simplest steps lead to the greatest transitions.
