If you are just a beginner who has never worked out your entire life, walking may be a good place to start. In fact, walking may also be ideal if you are in your late 40s or 50s, wishing to improve your health and lose that stubborn weight.
There is no denying that walking can be super effective in getting rid of stubborn fat. You may have come across a lot of people who have lost weight after introducing walking to their daily routine. But it’s possible that you may also have observed people who didn’t seem to lose weight even after walking distances.
Considering the latter scenario, you may wonder if walking is effective for losing weight. If it is, how much should you walk? And at what speed?
There may be a hundred questions on your mind. This is what we are here for. This blog will discuss some of the ways walking may be super effective for you.
Yes walking can be super effective if you watch your diet
Here is a gentle reminder, your diet matters – it matters more than you realise. So, there is no way you are going to lose weight if you pounce on sweets and other processed food while meeting your daily step requirements.
You must know about calorie deficit. In simple words, you must burn more energy than you consume (by eating food). When your body doesn’t get enough energy, it has to resort to its fat reserves to provide you energy. That’s how you burn fat.
So, if you are already getting enough energy from the food you are taking, your body won’t depend on fat reserves. Hence, you wouldn’t be burning fat and losing weight.
How long should you walk for?
As a rule of thumb, you should walk at least 10k steps a day. If you are a beginner, you can start slow and aim for less. Likewise, if you think 10k steps are too easy for you, feel free to increase the pace, steps or duration. In a nutshell, your body should feel challenged.
Remember to be consistent
Just so you know consistency is the key. Aim to walk for half an hour at least daily. If that isn’t possible, aim for 5 days a week.
Should I walk at a normal pace or brisk walk?
The more challenging the workout, the better it is. So, brisk walking is recommended. However, you can start at a slower pace if you are a beginner.
Your steps throughout the day also matter
Apart from a consistent walking routine, how active you are throughout the day also matters. Don’t expect to lose weight if you walk for half an hour but continue to be a couch potato all day long.
Here are a few ways you can try to increase your step count:
- Always take the stairs
- Park your car further away
- Take phone calls while you walk
- Try to go for a short walk after meals
- Try to walk on an elevated path to make walking challenging and burn extra calories
- Listen to upbeat music to feel energised
Remember, walking will be effective only for a while
As we said before, your body needs to be challenged to burn more calories. At one point in time, your body will become accustomed to walking for 30-40-60 minutes.
If you already have increased your pace or duration, and still do not feel challenged, walking won’t be effective for you anymore. This point may come after a few months or years.
This is when you have to go a level up and consider running or doing other exercises to ensure you keep losing weight.
Closing thoughts
Clear answer, yes walking is effective. But it wouldn’t be effective if you don’t change your diet and lifestyle habits. At the same time, you must try to challenge yourself by increasing the pace or duration. When you have checked those boxes, feel free to add new exercises along with a walking routine to burn more calories and lose weight.
Keep at it, walking has a range of benefits you cannot afford to miss out on. Your body and health will thank you.
