Walking is a very convenient and frequently overlooked type of exercise. According to new research, walking is excellent in promoting heart health, improving mental well-being, aiding in weight control, and even lowering your chance of chronic disease.

But before you lace up your sneakers and head out into the street or path, here’s what you need to know to get started walking for weight loss.

Find best gear for walking in this post

Walking For Weight Loss Is A Slow And Steady Process

To get started, keep your goal number in mind. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a typical woman should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. A man should aim for at least 75 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. If you’re just getting started, start with 10 to 15 minutes of walking a day and gradually increase from there. Don’t worry if your days seem kind of boring after a while.

When walking to lose weight, having a workout routine helps you stay consistent and ensures you get the recommended amount of exercise to burn calories and fat. However, your daily walking workout does not have to be the same. It’s a good idea to alternate between short and long walking days, with the occasional rest day in between.

Health Benefits of Walking

Walking outside is one of the most beneficial ways to get in some exercise. Walking has many benefits, including increased flexibility, improved bone density, decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It can also help you lose weight and boost your mood. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. Another study showed that those who walked more than 3 miles a day lost an average of two pounds over the course of the year.

In this article, we will examine the potential health benefits of walking as compared to other forms of physical activity.

Walking Affects Your Body

One way that you can tell if you should do more walking is if your arms and legs don’t stay still. If you can’t keep your arms at your side while walking or running, then you probably need to do more. Your body needs to be able to move freely in order for you to get the most benefit.

Walking is a full-body exercise that uses every muscle in your body. This means that it can help improve several different aspects of your health. If you suffer from back pain, for example, then this form of exercise may help reduce the pain and increase flexibility and range of motion in your back and neck. A 2005 study found that people who walked more had significantly reduced back pain than those who had less than two hours of weekly exercise.

Walking Affects Your Heart

When you walk, you use more of your heart than when you rest or sit. You can burn up to 100 calories an hour by walking just three miles at a brisk pace. Of course, the type of exercise will determine how many calories you burn up. Running uses more energy than walking, but just as many calories are burned in both activities.

The American Heart Association reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to research, staying active is one of the most efficient ways to improve our cardiovascular health, and walking is one of the simplest forms of exercise.

Walking Affects Your Metabolism

Something that has been shown to be important for weight loss has a high metabolic rate. Whenever your body breaks down food for energy, it also burns fat. The more fat your body burns, the easier it will be to lose weight and keep it off. If you have a higher metabolic rate, then the calories you eat will go toward energy instead of being stored as fat. When you walk, your metabolic rate increases, and so does the number of calories you burn up throughout the day.

Reducing Chronic Disease Risk

Lowering your blood pressure, improving your cholesterol, losing weight, and helping you maintain healthy bone density are just some of the benefits that walking can provide. You don’t need to find the time to run or spend hours in the gym in order to get these benefits. According to research, just three days of vigorous walking each week produces the same results as three hours of moderate exercise each week.

What To Know Before You Start Walking for Weight Loss?

The ultimate goal of a walk for weight loss is to make a lifestyle change. For someone who is obese, the process begins with setting realistic goals that are attainable and motivating factors to inspire commitment among patients. It also focuses on research-based information that provides positive reinforcement and, without all the specifics, becomes more personal.

In addition, because walking has been found to be an effective therapy for obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, it should always be considered as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Here is a quick overview of the principles that guide this approach:

• The best way to lose weight and keep it off is with a combination of exercise and diet.
• Your body can burn up to 500 calories in one hour of walking at 3 miles per hour. This means you can burn about 1,500 calories by walking three hours a week. Over the course of a year, that’s 52 pounds of fat.
• Walking at a pace that increases your heart rate to 75 percent of maximum increases the metabolic rate by 25 percent for up to three hours.
• If you walk for more than 30 minutes, you can burn more calories by walking slower or taking walks longer than one hour.
• Moving every day will improve your health and prevent disease. Walking increases bone density and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Increased muscle strength will decrease pain and improve mobility. Walking also can help you breathe more easily.
• Walkers report less stress, better moods, higher energy levels, and increased mental sharpness.
• If you are overweight, your risk of heart disease is greater than your risk of being overweight. Walking reduces that risk by reducing cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
• Walking for weight loss can help keep blood sugar levels in check by increasing insulin sensitivity in muscles and the liver. It also helps to lower triglyceride levels in the blood, which reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
• If you are post-menopausal, walking for weight loss can help restore muscle tone and bone density, which helps with your risk of osteoporosis.
• When combined with a diet that is low in fat and adequate in protein, walking for weight loss has been shown to improve glucose tolerance.

Tips For Walking For Weight Loss

Do you have a weight problem that you’re looking to lose? Are you wondering if there are good ways to do it without having to give up your favorite foods? If so, then here is the solution for you! It is important to know that no matter what your weight or height, how many calories are in the food will always be the same.

If you’re searching for a simple strategy to lose weight, starting a walking program is an excellent place to start. It’s low-impact, convenient to include into a hectic schedule, and suitable for people of practically any age or fitness level.

Here is the list of walking tips to increase your calorie burn and weight loss:

1. Walk More Throughout The Day

A power-walking workout is an excellent approach to lose weight and tone up. And, while a 30-45-minute power walk four to five days a week should be the primary objective, don’t stop there. To help you attain your weight-loss objectives, incorporate short walks of 20 minutes or less into your daily routine whenever possible. 

To get you started, here are a few suggestions:

• Consider taking a short walk following meals to help control your blood sugar, prevent food cravings, and enhance your metabolism.
• When running everyday errands, walk between destinations rather than driving if the distance is less than a mile.
• When you’re frustrated or stressed, take a brief walk. It might improve your mood while increasing your calorie burn.
• Always opt for the stairs over the elevator.

2. Increase The Intensity

If you are using walking as a way to lose weight, increase the intensity every time you walk.

• Work up to jogging for 30-60 seconds at a time with a slow walk in between.
• Make your stairs into hills by accelerating with each step or climb slowly, then accelerate at the top of each step. For an extra challenge, try climbing backward.
• Increase the incline on your treadmill or take walks outside on hills.
• Increase the difficulty of your walks by jogging or walking backward.

Find ways to make walking more fun, such as keeping a trail journal, posting pictures of your walk, or doing worksheets on your computer.

3. Hit The Hills

If your main reason for walking is weight loss, then scheduling regular hill workouts can maximize results. Hills are one of the fastest ways to boost your heart rate, get your metabolism revved up, and get the most calorie burn in a workout. 

If you don’t have access to a walking trail that you can use twice a week, try a staircase workout or increase the inclination on your treadmill. Just keep in mind to adjust your technique somewhat. As you ascend, lean forward, take shorter steps, and bend your knees more than you typically would.

4. Use Your Arms

Most people walking around are walking with their arms hanging at their sides. However, when walking, use your arms to accelerate, maintain your balance, and work the muscles in your upper body. Try using side steps to make up for any deficiencies in your leg drive. It will assist in increasing your pace, using your upper body, and burning up to 10% more calories than a conventional arm swing.

5. Focus On Form

No matter how much you increase the intensity and length of your walking routine, your efforts won’t be effective unless you use the proper walking technique.

As a general rule, keep your head up, shoulders relaxed, arms swinging comfortably by your side or across your body in front of you. Take steps that are approximately twice as long as they are wide. Walk with the ball, not the heel of your foot. Lead with the inside hip when stepping forward, pivot on the ball of your foot when changing directions. Keep your weight back on your heels, not on the balls of your feet.

6. Stretch Your Legs

By stretching before you walk, you can prevent common muscle soreness, reduce tension in your joints, and keep them limber throughout the day. You can do this by simply pulling each leg outward so that it’s extended straight. Hold the stretch for about ten seconds, then release. Repeat this three times on each leg.

7. Have A Step Goal

Exercise is so much more effective when you have a step goal in mind. To stay motivated, think in steps instead of miles or time, so it doesn’t seem so daunting when you have to “walk” to achieve it. You can do this by setting a step goal for each day, week, or anything that works for you.

One of the most beneficial objectives you can set as a walker is to increase your daily step count. The more steps you take, the more calories you will burn. Additionally, shortening your stride to take more steps may help you accelerate your pace.

8. Keep Calorie Consumption Low

Without risking harm, walking may be an excellent method to relieve stress, enhance your health, and build your bones and muscles. However, if you want to lose weight, you must focus only on a diet.

Concentrating on lean protein and veggies while avoiding sugary and processed meals is a good place to start. Keeping track of your daily calorie intake enables you to lose weight more quickly and securely than by following one of the many fad diets.

9. Include Strength Training

Strength training is a good way to build strength and lose weight. Using more challenging exercises will burn more calories, increase your calorie intake and raise your metabolism more than if you did the same exercise program that did not include strength training.

To drastically enhance results, aim to do one set of 10-15 reps using an isotonic resistance band on each leg. This works your muscles in new ways while improving your balance and coordination.

10. Do Usage Exercises

Doing different exercises on the same muscles on separate days will increase your calorie burn even more than one day of strength training on the same muscles. When walking, try doing some squats, lunges, step-ups with weight, burpees or even deadlifts on your lunge walks. Remember to do this in addition to your daily walking routine.

11. Avoid Sugary Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are great for replenishing electrolytes, but they are just that- Sports Drinks and should not replace water and other forms of hydrating. One teaspoon of sugar contains about 24 calories, and the body only needs to consume about 15 calories per pound of body weight. If you drink a sports drink or soda prior to working out, your metabolism will slow down, and you may lose more weight than you set out to do.

12. Consider A Walking Playlist

Studies have shown that listening to music while working out can help you to exercise longer, burn more calories and work out harder. In one study, those who listened to music lost more weight than those who didn’t.

If you’re not a music person, you can still benefit from a playlist. Try writing up a playlist of the sounds of nature on your iPod or another device and listen to it while walking on a treadmill or on a rainy day outside.

13. Take Recovery Seriously

Just as you can injure an athlete, so they are unable to compete, you can injure yourself if you are not careful with your recovery routine. You can do this by taking days off or doing cross-training instead. There is nothing wrong with giving your body a break and doing something different for a day or two. Cross-training is also a good way to prevent overuse injuries and muscle imbalances.

Weight Loss Workout Plan

Many people are struggling to lose weight when they are on the road to fitness.  Are you one of them?  Don’t be discouraged because this blog post will teach you how to walk for weight loss.

There are so many tricks and techniques that can help you on your journey to fitness success, but sometimes it takes a little trial and error in order to get what works best for you. That is why I wanted to create this blog post for people like you.  While everyone has different goals, most of us are trying to lose weight.  As you will see in the workout plan below, weight loss isn’t as complex as it might seem.  It does require patience and commitment, but the payoff is well worth the time it takes to reach your goals!

If you are ready to start losing weight on your journey to fitness, consider giving this workout plan a try.

You may change the days in this sample schedule as required. This exercise is ideal for people who don’t mind walking at a slower pace and like long walks. The time shown is at your desired heart rate and speed after a warm-up period. If your schedule does not allow for a single long walk each day, you may divide the long walks into two or shorter walks.

• Sunday: 60 minutes of vigorous walking
• Monday: Rest day; nevertheless, you may take easy strolls.
• Tuesday: 30 minutes of vigorous walking followed by a strength training exercise
• Wednesday: 30 minutes of vigorous walking
• Thursday: 60-minute walk at a fast pace
• Friday: 30 minutes of vigorous walking followed by a weight training session.
• Saturday: Long easy walking day consisting of 30 minutes at a fast speed followed by another 30 to 90 minutes at a leisurely pace.

While the amount of calories burned varies according to your weight and walking distance, this strategy may burn up to 2,000 calories per week for the typical walker.

Walking Workouts for Weight Loss

Here is some information on the many kinds of exercises you may include in your own strategy. A fast pace is one in which you are breathing more heavily than normal, and your heart rate is between 60% and 70% of maximum.

The Phases of the Fast-Paced Walk

Phase 1

You begin in an upright position with your eyes looking straight ahead at the center of your view. The walk starts off slow but gets faster and faster by the end of this period.

Phase 2 

With each successive step, you increase the speed to between 10% and 15% more than the last one. By this point, if you are willing to endure it, you are probably breathing fast enough for this routine to be considered a fast-paced walk.

Phase 3

You will have developed slightly more endurance by this stage. You are now able to walk faster than normal, but not as fast as you could. Your steps must be short but deliberate. The entire body must remain taut during this routine.

Phase 4

This is the number of steps to take in order for you to travel 50 yards in about two minutes. This is the speed you should be going at by this stage.

Phase 5

You have now begun to gradually slow down. You must let your body adjust to a slower pace after a period of faster-paced walking.

Here is the list of Walking Workout for Weight Loss:

1. Short Walking Workout

Warm-up for three to five minutes at a leisurely pace.

For 30 minutes, accelerate to a brisk walk at the goal speed.

Three to five minutes at a slow to a leisurely pace.

You may want to do a moderate stretching exercise after your warm-up or upon completion of your stroll.

2. Very​ Short Walking Workout

If you lack the time for a continuous stroll, schedule two to four 15-minute walks instead. Your daily time spent at a fast pace should total at least 30 minutes.

For one to three minutes, a warm-up at a slow pace.

For at least 10 minutes, accelerate to a fast speed.

For one to three minutes, move slowly at an easy pace.

3. Long Walking Workout

Five minutes at a slow pace will serve as a warm-up.

For 60 minutes, walk at a vigorous speed.

For five minutes, go slowly at an easy pace.

4. Long Easy Walking Workout

You may add variety to your exercise by participating in a local charity walk or joining a walking group or club.

Five minutes at a slow pace will serve as a warm-up.

For 30 minutes, walk at the desired brisk walking speed.

Continue at a slow to leisurely pace for another 30 to 90 minutes.

Days Off

When walking for weight reduction, it is recommended that you take no more than one to two days off each week. On your day off, you may still enjoy simple strolls, and you should avoid sitting for extended amounts of time.

Sitting for prolonged periods of time is one of the greatest culprits of weight gain. This is because prolonged sitting results in energy storage in the shortened muscles, creating a higher calorie need.

It is therefore suggested that you take your exercise breaks at least 30 minutes to an hour each day so that you are not stuck with long periods of sitting during your day. You should also avoid exercising too close to your normal routine, as it can cause major tiredness, which may have very negative effects on weight loss attempts.

Strength Training

Strength training is one of the most beneficial exercises around, but there are surprisingly few people who do it! That’s because they worry about bulking up muscle size or figure, looking too masculine, or feeling foolish. But here’s the truth: Strength training will make you stronger and healthier with no risk of muscles becoming bulky. It won’t change your figure or alter your body shape.

Strength training is a component of the healthy fitness regimen that is advised for everyone in order to minimize health hazards. When you’re trying to lose weight, it may assist in maintaining and even growing healthy muscle. Two days each week, include strength training exercises. Your short walking day or non-walking day may be ideal periods to include them in your routine.

Feeling Worn Out?

If you feel like you’re struggling with your weight, there are so many other factors to consider than just-food. Lack of exercise is one culprit for weight gain, and it’s something that’s easy to address without too much trouble or expense.

Take a day off if your walking exercise leaves you sore or exhausted the following day. If this occurs on a daily basis when walking, monitor your heart rate to ensure you are not overdoing it. Reduce your heart rate to 50% or less of your goal heart rate and reduce the number of long days in favor of short days.

This isn’t to say that you can’t walk each day; simply make your days shorter and your recovery time prolonged. Instead of walking every day if it’s causing you articular joint inflammation issues, consider walking three times a week by alternating days. This will allow you to stay consistent with your exercise without attributing pain to the activity.

If your joints are hurting, try making yourself more comfortable while walking by wearing supportive shoes or anti-inflammatory footwear if necessary.

Building Your Walking Time

Our health is largely determined by our physical activity. The more we move, the healthier we are. So, if you’re not getting enough exercise in your day, it’s time to start building your walking time!

If you are new to walking, it is recommended to gradually increase your walking time. If you’ve been walking for less than 30 minutes at a time, begin with a ten- or twenty-minute stroll to gauge your progress. Repeat that walk every day for the first week, increasing the duration by a couple of minutes. Carry on in this manner to gradually increase your endurance.

Another way to build up your walking time is to add some physical activity to each of your daily activities. For example, try parking down the street from your destination and walk the rest of the way. You can also take short walks while brushing your teeth or waiting for the train. Incorporated this new activity into your daily routine and do it consistently to improve its effectiveness. Soon, you will be enjoying an active lifestyle that will provide myriad benefits.

Walking is a natural way to improve one’s health and well-being. So, get outside and enjoy some time under the sun with a nice walk. You’ll feel better about yourself for it!

4 Weeks Walking Plan To Lose Weight

It’s time to take action, and you’re looking for a challenge. Motivation is important to weight loss, so why not find it in our comprehensive walking plan? With this walking schedule, you’ll be losing weight fast, with minimal risk of injury. No matter your fitness history or medical condition, this walking plan is the perfect way to jumpstart your healthy lifestyle! After all, even if you don’t lose any weight with this program now (don’t worry!), you’ll be more physically active…

This walking plan focuses on losing weight and toning your muscles (the most important benefit of walking). Since you won’t be gaining muscle mass with this plan, you can’t expect to lose a lot of weight. When it comes to fitness, that’s not the goal anyway.

It is designed for moderate-intensity exercise. Getting your heart rate up to a cardio-conditioning zone isn’t a problem, and this plan will help you burn many more calories than jogging or other high-intensity aerobic activities.

This walking plan might seem easy, but you will soon find yourself challenged and feeling great. This plan is also friendly to beginner walkers because it includes reduced-intensity days.

Here is the plan of 4 weeks of walking to lose weight:

Week 1

1. Monday: 3 x 10-min walks, easy pace
2. Tuesday: 30-min walk, brisk
3. Wednesday: 30-min walk, easy pace + strength workout
4. Thursday: 30-min walk, easy pace + strength workout
5. Friday: 30-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
6. Saturday: 2 x 30-min walks, easy pace
7. Sunday: 60-min walk, brisk

Week 2

1. Monday: 3 x 20-min walks, easy pace
2. Tuesday: 30-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
3. Wednesday: 20-min walk, easy pace + strength workout
4. Thursday: 2 x 30-min walks, easy pace
5. Friday: 40-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
6. Saturday: 40-min walk, easy pace + strength workout
7. Sunday: 60 min walk, brisk. You are getting used to walking for more than 40 minutes by now.

Week 3

1. Monday: 3 x 30-min walks, easy pace
2. Tuesday: 40-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
3. Wednesday: 40-min walk, easy pace + strength workout
4. Thursday: 2 x 30 min walks, easy pace
5. Friday: 40-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
6. Saturday: 45 min walk, easy pace + strength workout
7. Sunday: 60 min walk, brisk. You are getting used to walking for more than 60 minutes by now.

Week 4 

1. Monday: 3 x 40-min walks, easy pace
2. Tuesday: 45-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
3. Wednesday: 45-min walk, easy pace + strength workout
4. Thursday: 2 x 30 min walks, easy pace
5. Friday: 45-min walk, brisk + workout of your choice
6. Saturday: 60 min walk, easy pace + strength workout
7. Sunday: 60 min walk, brisk. You are getting used to walking for more than one hour by now.

How To Eat If You’re Walking For Weight Loss?

In order to lose weight, you need to be more active. But a lot of people worry about overeating if they’re active more often – and the problem is only more compounded if they walk for exercise. The solution is easy: make sure you eat enough!

The key is balance, and here are some tips to help you out with that:

• Eat breakfast as soon as possible after waking up. Breakfast can help control appetite all day long.
• Have a snack at least 30 minutes before you go to the gym and another 30 minutes after exercising. Not only will this help sustain energy levels, but you’ll also help prevent weight gain.
• Go for a good source of protein with every meal. Thinner people need more protein than heavier ones, and getting fat is mostly caused by overeating (or over-eating).
• Don’t skip any meals. The more you skip, the less your metabolism will be working.
• Don’t drink alcohol or eat a lot of sugar at night. It’ll only make the effects of over-eating worse.
• Be careful with what you eat. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from a nutritionist if you aren’t sure about what to order – they’ll be able to tell you what’s safe and what isn’t.
• Don’t drink more water than you consume calories. It will make your body work harder to keep itself hydrated.
• If you want to lose extra weight, the best thing is to cut down on sugar intake. Try soda with less sugar content if only one meal really makes you crave it, or try replacing it with water. Eat three times a day but don’t have more than an hour between each meal, and have some snacks instead of having one very big meal.

FAQs

Can you lose weight by walking 30 minutes a day?

Almost definitely. But there is no magic number of minutes per day. The key to losing weight is consistency and burning more calories than you take in – two things that only come with daily effort and commitment.

You need to consistently walk for 30 minutes a day, or about 3 miles, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it all at once – ten-minute increments work just as well and will help sustain your long-term motivation

Can I lose 20 pounds in a month by walking?

Definitely, the key to losing weight quickly and sustaining that loss is consistency and commitment. You can lose 20 pounds in a month if you walk daily for 30 minutes, but only if you keep walking every day.

How many calories do I burn when walking?

The number of calories we burn depends on many factors, including the amount of oxygen we use (cardiovascular fitness), the slope of terrain (the effort required to climb it), the amount of bodyweight we carry (fat-burning potential), and how long we walk (efficiency).

Can you lose belly fat by walking?

Belly fat is essentially weight that sits inside your abdomen or stomach, and it’s more dangerous than subcutaneous fat (the kind found under the skin on your arms and legs) because it’s metabolically active. Studies have shown that people with large bellies are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and mortality rates.

What is the best exercise to lose weight?

The best exercise to lose weight is one that you enjoy doing so much that you stick with it consistently.

How does walking help me lose weight?

When you walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, it leads to increased calorie expenditure – your body consumes more calories just maintaining homeostasis than it would if you were at rest.

How much should one walk to lose weight?

There is no magic answer. Experts recommend you walk at least 30 minutes a day, five to six days a week. Some say 5 miles per week, but it depends upon your weight and also the type of walking you are doing. Running burns more calories than walking, but running can damage your knees. You can lose weight by combining running and walking.

What is a good walking schedule to lose weight?

The most effective way to lose weight is to walk a minimum of 30 minutes per day, five days a week. If you can do more, it’s even better.

Does walking reduce thigh fat?

Yes, walking does reduce thigh fat. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who walked for at least 20 minutes a day at a brisk pace lost more weight from their thighs than from other parts of the body.

Is walking good for losing weight?

Yes. Walking can help you lose weight by burning fat and increasing your metabolism. It also helps strengthen your heart and lungs, improve mood and sleep patterns, plus reduce stress and strengthen bones and muscles.

Can you lose weight and tone up just by walking?

Yes, you can. But walking alone won’t likely have much of an effect on your weight unless you are already pretty active, and it’s one of the only exercises you’re doing. Weight training will also help to build muscle and muscle (size) is what allows your body to burn calories more efficiently.

Yes, walking is great for weight loss, but it will depend on your daily calorie intake that affects how quickly you lose weight. You can walk for about thirty minutes, three times a week. A lot of people burn more calories because they are more active too. If you do the 30 minutes three times a week, that is about 1 mile an hour. You could walk 1 mile in less than an hour if you are burning 2,000 calories a day.