About 60% of people who begin exercising give up within the first 6 weeks because of an injury according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information.  So why not consider ‘walking’ for weight loss as your go to exercise?  This is not only because of the long list of benefits but because it has a low risk of injury too. According to the Mayo Clinic any physical exercise helps you to burn calories.  If you add 30 mins of brisk walking to your daily routine you could burn about 150 more calories a day.

Lose Weight with Walking

You’re probably reading this article because you want to know how ‘walking’ can aid in weight loss and how it can actually help you shed those unwanted pounds.  The most important issue here is that if you are wanting to use walking to lose weight then it’s very important that you prioritize physical activity and of course make good nutritious food choices always helps too. Losing just 10% of your body weight will help lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, your blood pressure, and your risk of Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. It also takes the stress off your joints, making it easier to move about according to Heart UK.

How Much Walking To Lose Weight Should I Do?

Adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of intense activity every week. If you can do more that’s even better, according to HeartUK

Benefits Of Regular Walking for Weight Reduction

• It’s free
• It’s easy
• Can walk all year round
• Increases your burn dramatically
• Helps with belly fat and overall reduction in fat
• Improves cardiovascular health so healthier heart Research has shown that walking can have a significant impact on your health by lowering your chances of heart disease
• Builds stamina
• Burns excess calories
• Low risk of injury
• Helps with bone strength
• Helps to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety

How To Start 

• You can walk in any comfortable pair of shoes or trainers.  However make sure that the trainers or shoes are comfortable enough to walk any distance but also give good support.  
• It’s important too to stay hydrated on your walk. 
• Start out doing 10 minute daily walks and increase from there. Consistency is key.
• Introduce more walking into your daily life

Suggestions for Increasing Your Daily Walking to Lose Weight

• Hold a business meeting - walking
• Instead of meeting friends for coffee - invite friends for a walking meet
• If you are waiting for something - try and get some walking in
• If you drive to the local shops, walk instead
• Walk every lunchtime
• Make walking part of your journey to work.  Park your car somewhere else, so you can get some walking in. Or get off the train or bus a few stops earlier.
• If you are a mum or dad and out with the stroller/pushchair walk with intention and increase your pace.
• Walk your children to school
• Do a regular walk with friends or neighbours.
• Make walking a habit
• Join a walking group
• Listen to music or a podcast when walking
• Do longer walks at weekends
• Stroll with a furry friend

Improving Your Health with Walking

Research has shown that walking can have a significant impact on your health by lowering your chances of heart disease

Amount of Weight Loss with Walking

Walking at a vigorous pace increases your breathing and heart rate for weight loss. 

So the amount of weight loss does depend on your current weight, your walking pace.  The terrain - walking uphill or on an incline on a treadmill. The more uphill your terrain is the better for weight loss.

Wearing a backpack can also increase your burn. The Walk and Jog approach using HITT (high intensity interval training) so 2 minutes walking/jogging at conversational pace and 2 minutes walking much slower for recovery.

Walking for Weight Loss Goals

150 minutes of exercise a week is a good goal to have.  This could be broken down into 10 minute segments or just daily or weekly goals.

To lose weight or maintain, many adults will need to do more than 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity. Some will need to do the equivalent of 300 minutes (5 hours, 5 x 60 minute walks 5 days per week or 43 minutes a day for 7 days per week.) of moderate intensity activity per week.

Add Light Weight Dumbbells to Your Walking To Lose Weight

This helps to boost resistance and intensity.  They should not however accompany you on every walk but once or twice a week is fine.

Start with 10-15 mins and then you can gradually increase the length of your walk, so your body gets used to carrying the additional weight. 

Just remember they can also add extra strain to your muscles and joints so using them too frequently can cause injury.

Log Your Walking or Activity

Use a pedometer which calculates steps and distance or an App on your phone. According to MyFitnessPal people who log their intake of food and activity tend to be more successful at weight loss. Keep a simple log of your walking sessions to help keep you motivated

Dilemma - Walking or Running 

You may not think that walking has the same cardiovascular benefit that running does.  New research shows you can, when you walk on an incline.

Whether that is walking up a hill or walking on an incline on a treadmill, incline walking challenges your musculoskeletal system in new ways according to the Mayo Clinic. So good news if you find running just too painful or too strenuous or you simply enjoy walking more than running, it’s good news!

Different Types of Walking to Lose Weight

Walking is just walking isn’t it?  Well at first glance at this topic that seems sensible.  However when you dig deep into this subject you will find different styles of walking, some slow and some fast.

1. Walking at a normal pace. This requires minimal effort, 2 miles per hour (Mayo Clinic) 160 pound person walks at 2 miles per hour burns 204 calories
2. Brisk or Faster walking.  The faster you walk, the more distance you can cover and more pounds you lose. This can be counted as aerobic or cardiovascular activity in other words makes a person’s heart beat more rapidly and breathing rate increase.
3. Nordic walking.  Another name for this is ‘Ski Walking’.  This style of walking originates from Finland, using poles. The benefits are that it gives a complete body workout - it uses shoulders, upper arm muscles, back, chest and abs. It also burns up to 40% more calories than walking at a normal pace. 

Less Active Adults

Current guidelines suggest we should all get 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.  However if you are inactive then you should gradually work towards this goal.  Depending upon your level of physical activity you could start a walking program of 5 minutes a day for 5-6 days a week and then increase to 6-10 minutes for 3 days a week with walking speed increased slowly.

WHAT TO DO NEXT......

If you are interested in making changes too, get in touch and we can work out a few simple ways to start.

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