It was interesting to learn today that; in human history, walking and running were transportation methods. They were the only way that information could be conveyed from one village to another. What never crossed peoples’ minds was to lose weight with walking. 

Currently, because of technological advancement and sedentary lifestyles, there is no time in the day to way from place to place for any reason. People rely on phones for communication or cars, planes, bus, or trains to move from one end of town to another.

According to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity claims close to 2 million lives per year. Physical inactivity due to the sedentary lifestyles is responsible for the worrying number of obesity and the increasing risk of developing health problems including; type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, kidney diseases, and cancer.

 A review published in the frontiers in endocrinology showed that walking 7500 steps a day can prevent type 2 diabetes. Walking enhances weight loss and requires less in terms of equipment. In this article, we are going to look at how to lose weight by walking.

The different ways of how to lose weight with walking include; walking before breakfast, briskly walk, swing arms, varying terrain, walking uphill, walking with hand weights, walking backward, making longer strides, walking at various speeds, and intensive walking.

This is how to lose weight with walking in detail

1. Walk before having breakfast

The best way to lose weight with walking is to walk early in the morning before breakfast.  This is because in the morning the body has a calorie deficit and glycogen levels had been depleted during sleep. The body will instead burn the fat stores to generate energy hence weight loss.

2. Walk swinging arms

Swinging your arms during the walk gives the upper body muscles a workout as well as increasing the speed at which you are walking. Bend the arms at a right angle and swing them from the chest level to the pock level as you walk.

 3. Walk at a varying pace

It is believed that walking at changing speeds burns more calories compared to walking at a constant speed. According to the journal published by The Royal Society, oscillating-speed walking costs more than constant speed-walking

4. Carry out backward walking

Walking backward would be one way of nursing the muscles from the forward walk since the backward walk uses the muscles in the reverse order. However backward walking is safer on a treadmill. In case you don’t have a treadmill, you an open ground without traffic and potholes with a guide.

5. What is a brisk walk?

Brisk walking is another way to lose weight by walking. It involves walking a little faster than the normal speed. Research shows that brisk walking has many physical, mental, and emotional health benefits. Carrying out a brisk walk of up to 30minutes a day on a flat surface can burn about 1000 calories.

6. Walking uphill

Bending the legs slightly while taking short steps up the hill will help to strengthen and tone your muscles. This will introduce an element of intensive exercise to increase fat burning.

 7. Walk with hand weights

Although hand weights are desired and can boost calorie burning, they limit the arm swing and may reduce the walking speed. It is advisable to use small hand weights.

8. Vary the terrain

Switching the surfaces you are walking on is very important for burning belly fat. Walking on sand or gravel burns more calories compared to walking on a track.

9. Incorporate resistance training

Resistance walking helps to increase the burning of calories as well as adding new muscles. Including push-ups, lunges, and squats and do a great job.

10. Taking longer strides

The longer the strides, the more distance covered. This, therefore, implies burning more calories compared to the small steps.

How to start to lose weight with walking

For beginners, it is always easy to start a new exercise regimen. Follow these simple steps to help you have a quick start.

1. Consult your doctor

Before beginning on any exercise regimen, you should visit your doctor to make sure you are fit enough to take on any aerobic exercise. In case of any heart related or breathing cases, your doctor will advise you accordingly. Similarly, if you develop any issues during the workout such as head, chest pain, and neck stop the workout and check with a health professional.

2. Get a good pair of walking shoes

Visit a shoe store and select the right pair of shoes. Since the feet normally swell during most exercises, pick a shoe that is slightly above your size.

We have written an article about the best exercise shoes. This article will give you the basic knowledge of what to consider before buying the workout shoes and the features of different exercise shoes. Check out our list of the recommended best exercise shoes.

3. Get moisture-wicking clothes

Walking may not require expensive athletics equipment. Since walking makes you sweat, get a few pieces of cloth or towels to help you wipe the sweat during the walk.

4. Start small

For beginners, it is not a good idea to start with long distances or rough terrain. Start with small distances of at most 30 minutes a day. You can gradually increase the working distances as you stabilize

Is walking a good way to lose weight?

Physical exercise and a balanced diet that involves limiting calorie intake promote weight loss. Walking as physical activity, burns calories and eventually brings about weight loss, depending on the duration and intensity of the walking.

According to Mayo Clinic, if you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. The more you walk the more calories you burn. However, this should not be overdone to avoid a risk of soreness and injury.

Can you lose belly fat by walking?

Aerobic exercises such as walking can help to reduce body fat. When we combine walking with high intensive exercises, fat-burning hormones such as epinephrine are boosted to target belly fat. According to eMedicineHealth, a study in the University of Virginia showed that women who performed 30 minutes of intensive exercise like fast-paced walks 3 times per week, and slower walks 2 times per week lost six times more belly fat compared to those who walked slowly for the five days a week.

Can you lose weight by walking for an hour?

If you are the kind of person with a very busy routine, and you barely have the energy for intensive workouts, walking may be the best option for you. Studies show that one hour of intensive exercise a day can give you results.

According to Jama International Medicine, people who walked just 30 minutes lost body fat. The effectiveness and intensity of your workouts will determine the number of calories burnt.

What are the health benefits of walking to lose weight

To reap the benefits of walking, aim for at least 30 minutes of brisk walk plus high intensive walking on most days of the week. Health benefits of walking include;

• Walking reduces body fat
• Increases muscle strength and endurance
• Strengthen the bones and improves body balance
• Reduces stroke and heart-related diseases
• Eases muscle stiffness
• Reduces the risk of type two diabetes
• Normalizes blood pressure
• Improves insulin and cholesterol levels

How much do I need to walk every day to lose weight?

Like we have discussed in the above paragraph, for one to have effective results from walking, he or she should target at least 30 to 90 minutes of most days in the week. A total of about 2.5 hours. You can also incorporate intensive walking for at least 3 days a week.

Does walking reduce thigh size?

Walking inclines, declines, and changing terrain will challenge the thighs and calf muscles. This will eventually tone the muscles and increase calorie burning. With a balanced diet, consistency, and intensity, walking will trim fats off your thighs.

How long do you have to walk to see results?

Weight loss is all about calorie intake vs calorie burnt out. Reaping weight loss results from walking depends on several factors. These include how long you walk, consistency, intensity, speed, and what you are eating every day. With the right diet and consistent workouts, you should have results within a few weeks of your walking workouts.

Can walking change your body shape?

 

Walking involves almost all body muscles. The common muscles involved include; calf muscles, thighs, and buttocks. Walking will make all these areas more toned and shaped which eventually transforms the body shape.

Does walking tone your butt?

Walking tones the butt since it involves the movement of butt muscles. The butt muscles, also known as glutes are mainly three. These include; gluteus maximus below the butt cheeks, gluteus minimus and gluteus medius on the top of the hip bones. All these muscles support the body during several workouts including walking. Therefore, fitness walking will tone your butt, increase body stability, and influence the shape of your butt.

Bottom line

Walking is one of the aerobic exercises that can help to shed off the excess pounds.  Incorporating high intensive exercises and a balanced diet in the walking workouts will help to boost calorie burning. This will eventually burn the fat stores including the belly fat.

We have an amazing article about leg workouts without weights. This article gives you a detailed step-by-step guide of how to strengthen your lower body muscles, the advantages of these workouts, and how often you should workout your legs.