Are you determined to lose a few pounds? You might be better off going for a walk instead of browsing social media for the latest diet fad. Something as simple as walking to lose weight is not only possible, but also very effective.
Below, experts tell us how and why it works, plus essential tips and tricks for walking and losing weight.
5 benefits of walking to lose weight
While you may think you need to huff, puff and sweat a lot to achieve an effective weight loss workout, this is actually far from the truth.
According Kaitlyn Comeau, Registered Dietitian, PN1-SSRAccording to registered dietitian and group fitness instructor from Nova Scotia, Canada, walking is perhaps the most underrated form of exercise out there. “Walking can be an effective way to lose weight, especially when done consistently and combined with a balanced diet,” she explains. “It’s another tool in the weight loss toolbox, and it’s low impact, making it a great option for many people.”
1. Walking burns calories
To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. Walking, either at a leisurely or brisk pace, can help you do just that. “The number of calories burned depends on a number of factors, including walking speed, duration, and body weight,” she explains. “Generally speaking, an adult could burn between 100 and 200 calories with a brisk 30-minute walk” — not bad compared to the peaks many of us already experience during our commutes, while shopping, or out for lunch.
2. Walking positively affects glucose levels
“Walking regularly helps improve insulin sensitivity, which makes it easier for the body to control blood sugar levels,” Comeau continues. “This is essential for preventing energy crashes and controlling hunger.”
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3. Walking promotes hormonal balance
Walking also helps keep a variety of hormones in check that can help in the weight loss process. “Walking reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can reduce cravings for comforting, high-calorie foods,” says Comeau. Additionally, she says that walking can reduce hunger hormones and increase satiety hormones (also known as ghrelin and leptin, respectively).
4. Walking improves bone and muscle health
“Walking is also a weight-bearing activity, which means it improves bone and muscle health, which is crucial for women,” she says. Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDNfounder of BZ Nutrition. As for weight loss, she adds that more muscle means more calories burned, no matter if you’re resting, walking or going about your daily life.
5. Walking improves mental health and overall well-being
Walking won’t just help you lose weight. It can also help you generate more feel-good hormones and sleep better, Zeitlin says. “In turn, this helps us better control food cravings, overindulgence, and emotional eating — things that typically make us fat,” she shares. (Additional benefits of walking in the form of vitamin D and fresh air are for those who walk outside instead of on the treadmill, but you really can’t go wrong either way.)
Walking too promotes healthy aging and flexibility. In short, it’s a form of movement you’ll want to prioritize throughout the years, even after you’ve reached your ideal weight.
How to walk to lose weight
“For those looking to rely on walking as a primary form of cardiovascular exercise for weight loss, consistency and progress are key,” says Comeau. Here are the experts’ top tips and tricks.
Dedicate time
Comeau suggests walking at a moderate intensity of at least 150 to 300 minutes per week (that’s 30 to 60 minutes per day) for at least 5 days. “For more significant weight loss, it may be beneficial to extend your walks to 90 minutes per day,” she explains.
Zeitlin adds that you can break them up into intervals that work for you on a given day — for example, extending your morning commute some days or taking a few extra laps around the block after dinner on other days.
“Find a routine that fits your lifestyle,” Comeau advises. “My favorites are early morning to start the day with sunlight and short walks after meals.” Plus, the former helps regulate your circadian rhythm (so you have energy during the day, better sleep at night, and more balanced hormones), while the latter helps digestion and blood sugar levels.
Control your pace
It can be helpful to track your walking for weight loss by minutes, hours, and steps (Zeitlin says at least 8,000 steps are needed to improve overall health). However, you may want to increase your pace to further speed up your cardiovascular output and calorie burn.
“Start at a comfortable pace and gradually increase your speed to a brisk walk (3.5 to 4 mph),” Comeau advises. At this pace, you should be able to breathe but still comfortably carry on a conversation. “If you’re looking for more intensity, add short brisk walking intervals where you walk at a near-jog pace for 1 to 2 minutes, followed by a slower recovery pace for 3 to 4 minutes,” she continues. (Incidentally, when I do my own sexy-girl walks on the treadmill, this type of interval work improves my endurance so I don’t tire out too soon.)
Go for a hike or add a hill
When it comes to walking, hikes and inclines warm my heart in more ways than one. Personally, I love the added challenge and knowing that it will give me better results (including a higher calorie burn) in less time than walking on flat ground alone.
“Walking on varied terrain, such as trails or sand, involves more muscles and increases intensity,” she adds.
Do some calculations
If you’re a bit of a type A and love precision (just me?), Zeitlin says you can do a little mental math to figure out how much you need to walk to lose weight. She reminds us that the average person burns about 100 calories per mile, and that one pound equals 3,500 calories. Basically, this means the average person needs to walk 35 miles to burn one pound, so you might want to try walking 35 miles per week to lose one pound per week.
“Again, you may burn a little less or a little more than 100 calories per mile depending on your current weight,” she shares. Still, this ballpark figure can help you keep your goals in check and stay on track toward weight loss.
Stay consistent
Again, consistency is key to achieving virtually any goal. “While some people may see initial results within 2-4 weeks, sustained weight loss and fitness improvements typically take 8-12 weeks,” Comeau explains. However, these timeframes depend on how regularly and how hard you walk, not to mention your diet, health status, and other crucial factors.
Partner walking and strength training
While walking is a great idea no matter if you want to lose weight or maintain good health, so is strength training.
“Adding strength training two to three times a week helps build lean muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate,” says Comeau. Again, this means you’ll burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. Amazing, right? “Strength training also helps preserve muscle during weight loss, ensuring that most of the weight lost comes from fat rather than muscle,” he continues.
The takeaway
Walking for weight loss can be a powerful and effective way to lose weight, and it’s safe and easy to fit into even the busiest of schedules. Still, it’s best to modify other parts of your routine at the same time.
“While walking is a great starting point for weight loss, combining it with strength training and a balanced diet is critical to long-term success and will allow you to get more bang for your buck,” Comeau explains. “That said, no amount of exercise can outweigh a poor diet.”
With this in mind, both Comeau and Zeitlin advise:
- Prioritize protein at each and every meal to promote satiety, weight control, and muscle repair.
- Stay hydrated (not only because thirst can be confused with hunger)
- Being aware of portion control and hunger cues (essentially, eating smarter, not necessarily more, to curb increased hunger when exercising)
Zeitlin also stresses the importance of fueling properly before and after hikes. “Fuel like you would for any workout: drink plenty of water and have a snack and hydrate within 30 minutes of your hike,” she advises. “A great post-hike snack would be protein and fruit (e.g., a cheese stick and grapes or an apple with nut butter).”
Last but not least, dieticians stress the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Doing so will not only keep cravings at bay, but will also improve your mood and energy, and therefore your motivation to keep going and lose weight and improve your health.
