Are you walking to lose weight?
I see people out in my community each and every day walking their butts off and it prompted me to write this blog post in a response to the question that is lurking in the back of their minds.
Will walking help me lose weight?
Many people ponder this question and ultimately answer for themselves without having the right insight.
My answer to that question is: Yes and No.
Yes. Walking is a great form of exercise and a form that can be done by just about anyone, barring physical limitations, but…
NO, it is not really going to directly help you lose the weight like you are thinking and hoping it will.
You want to get rid of some fat so you decide to start exercising. That’s a good decision and the right one.
So, you get up and head to your local gym or maybe you head out in your neighborhood to go for a walk.
Now, walks come in different flavors. You have your vanilla, plain jane stroll down the street or you have your rocky road, power walking session at a brisk pace and/or up a hill.
See Also: How to Boost Your Metabolism Naturally
Which Way Are You Walking To Lose Weight?
The stroll down the street is comfortable and easy to do and it is better than sitting at home on the couch. The problem is you are not exerting enough effort to burn a significant number of calories.
You have probably heard that low intensity exercise burns off the most fat and that is true, kinda. You burn the highest PERCENTAGE of fat during low intensity exercise.
You are burning primarily fat as you sit in your seat and read this blog post as a matter of fact. The only problem is, you are not burning very MANY calories.
Your total calorie expenditure is extremely low right now and pretty low when you go out for your walks as well.
You may burn 85% of your fuel from fat, but if you are only burning 100 calories during the entire duration of your exercise bout, then it is hardly worth the effort.
The brisk pace walk or uphill walk is a better alternative if walking is what you are dead set on doing.
In this approach you are putting forth some effort to get your body moving and the more effort you put forth the more calories you burn. The more calories you burn the better your chances are for walking off the weight.
See Also: How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight
How Much Walking To Lose Weight?
The biggest factor in either approach when you are walking to lose weight is not the pace or the style of your walk, but rather it is your heart.
Your heart determines how hard you are working. The harder your heart has to beat in order to pump blood to your body, the more work you are doing and the more calories you burn.
Your fitness level determines how hard your heart will have to beat during any activity (walking or otherwise).
If you are very deconditioned and walking up a flight of stairs is a challenge for you, then your walks may have your heart pounding pretty strong while you exercise.
If you are in pretty good shape or if you are already used to the walks that you are doing, then you won’t be putting forth much effort and getting back an equally limited amount of benefit.
Either way, if it is not challenging to you, then you are not going to gain much from it unfortunately.
To take it a step further, whether you are walking to lose weight or not, your weight loss is determined by the balance of calories your body takes in and uses.
Take in more then you use and you gain weight. Use more than you consume and the weight falls off.
Example
Let’s say you are eating on average 2,000 calories per day for example and your body also needs 2,000. Your walks that burn 200 calories may be enough to tip the scales for you.
In this case you the extra calories that you are going to burn are just enough to create a deficit in your body. With this scenario you are going to lose weight, albeit very slowly.
Slowly is better than not at all of course, so our intent is not to deter you from walking if that is all you can do.
Let’s say you are eating an average of 2,600 calories per day and your body still needs those 2,000 calories we referred to above.
Your walks that burn 200 calories will definitely not be enough to promote any weight loss at all.
The only way weight loss is going to happen for you is to:
- Know how many calories you need
- Eat fewer calories than you need
- Get busy exercising more vigorously
Is Running Or Walking Better For Losing Weight?
You do not always have to run to burn numerous amounts of calories or to have the body that you have always dreamed of.
Some experts will say that you should always conduct cardio exercise (such as running) when you first wake up in the morning or wait until the sun goes down in the evening.
My answer to that is you should always go with what makes you comfortable. It all depends on your work schedule and your willingness to become a better person in regards to physical fitness.
I know that a lot of young people will always say things such as “daily walking routines are for old people” or “how is walking going to benefit me?”
If you are young or old it does not matter, daily walking routines can be the difference in having a longer and healthy life. No one should ever take this basic exercise for granted.
In no way am I trying to down play running or anything like that. All I am trying to say is that there are other alternatives to becoming a healthier you for the next 10 to 20 years if your are not a dynamic runner or not able to conduct running exercise.
See Also: How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Conclusion
Walking is one of the most common exercises that can be conducted to burn fat and have a very productive week.
The power of walking can help a person burn calories, increase your metabolism, and be the catalyst to having a very productive week in whatever activity that you may participate in.
As with all other types of exercises it’s up to the individual to decide if they want to achieve the best results possible.
There are different types of walking exercises that are used to workout different parts of the body such as ruck marching, speed walking, or just regular daily walking.
Always have a plan of attack when you are conducting daily walking exercises. If you plan on walking for at least 2 to 5 miles then go for it and do not give up when it seems like you are too tired to continue.
Remember that this is a “marathon not a race” in regards to getting in the best shape of your life.
Walking to lose weight sounds like a great idea and can be worth while for some, but most people are going to need to do much more than simply walk to promote fat loss.
