How much should I walk for weight loss?
Walking is easy to do, anyone can do it and there's no special equipment required. So it's no wonder that walking is one of the most popular exercises around.
You are probably wondering how much should I walk to lose weight or how many miles to walk to lose weight or else how many steps a day to lose weight. And also whether you can lose weight by walking.
Can you lose weight by walking?
The answer is yes.
Walking is one of the best exercises for weight loss. It's easy on the joints, can be done for short or long periods and is versatile. Combined with a healthy diet and a calorie deficit, you can use walking as an effective weight loss tool.
What are the benefits of walking?
Walking offers a plethora of benefits. It helps many conditions of the body and of the mind. It prevents heart conditions, reduces blood pressure and helps to reduce the risk of diabetes. It also helps to lift your mood and prevent depression.
Walking also helps you sleep well at night. It stimulates your blood circulation and gives your skin a lovely glow.
It's an effective exercise to lose your belly fat and to reduce bloat.
What's the best way to lose weight by walking?
There's no right or wrong way to track your walking for losing weight.
You can base your walking plan on duration (minutes), distance (miles or steps).
Let's break it down here and answer some of the commonly asked questions.
How much should I walk to lose weight?
Form a walking plan for the week and break it up like this, for example. One day of the week can be assigned as rest but try to do some light activity such as Yoga/ Pilates.
2 days a week- 30 to 40 minutes of walking a day + 20 to 30 minutes strength training exercise
2 days a week- 60 minutes of walking a day
2 days a week- 30 minutes of interval walking (alternate between fast walks/runs and normal pace)
If you don't have the time or energy to commit for longer walks, you can break it down throughout the day in intervals of 10 minute walks. It can be as simple as taking a walk to the next station or a short walk during your lunch time. You can plan your workout in the morning or evening.
How many miles should I walk to lose weight?
If you prefer to count how many miles, this is the approximate number of steps. Try to complete at least 4 to 5 miles per day.
1 mile = 2000 steps
5 miles= 10000 steps
7 miles = 15000 steps
How many steps a day should I walk to lose weight?
If you have a fitness tracker, it's easy to track your steps for the whole day. You could do a fasted cardio walk of 30 minutes in the morning. This should be about 3000 steps.
Do a walk in the evening for about 30 to 40 minutes which should be another 4000 steps.
Try to accumulate steps throughout the day (about 3000 steps).
All of this adds up to 10000 steps.
Is 10000 steps a day good for weight loss?
If you are sedentary most of the time and don't exercise, you will clock only about 2000 to 3000 steps a day which will lead to weight gain eventually and will result in your metabolism slowing down.
You can get good weight loss results from walking 7500 to 10000 steps a day combined with a calorie deficit in your diet.
If you find your weight loss results stalling from a plateau, try to up your step count in increments of 2000 steps like 12000 steps to 15000 steps a day for some time.
Should I run to lose weight?
Running is a very effective exercise where you can burn up to 8.5 calories a minute. If you're already a seasoned runner and find good results, continue your running workouts. However, running long distances can cause ankle injuries or shin splints.
A good way to get the benefits of running without the pain is to use intervals- short bursts of intense exercise with recovery periods in between. This will boost your metabolism and help your body burn fat.
Warm up with 10 minutes of fast walking.Jog for 30 seconds. Walk to recover for 60 seconds. This is one interval. Repeat 6 intervals. Over a period of six weeks, you can build up to 10 intervals. Finish with a cool down and gentle stretches.You can do this workout three to five days a week and on the days you feel less energetic, you could go for long walks or do gentle yoga.
Some tips for an effective workout
1) Keep well hydrated. Take frequent sips of water during your workout.
2) Start with a warm up and finish with a cool down. Don't skip these.
3) Wear comfortable clothing and good shoes for walking.
Comments