Women’s Day
In recent years, walking and staying active has honestly become fashionable. Achieving a certain number of steps during the day and the challenges of corporate walking have helped to improve daily physical activity. In fact, the United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults move more and feel less throughout the day, and they recommend that some physical activity be better than nothing. If you are trying to control your weight, walking can be a useful weight control tool. Here is everything you need to know about walking to lose weight, including our tips and tricks to maximize your stride.
Benefits for walking
Research continues to show that general regular exercise is beneficial to your health, but walking has several benefits, including:
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Improve heart health: We know that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, so keeping your heart in mind should be a priority. Research suggests that walking can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and also improve longevity.
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Promotion of mental health: Taking care of yourself, mind and body, is very important when it comes to well-being and holistic health. Walking regularly can improve a person’s cognition and also help decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Fighting obesity: Obesity puts us at risk for several chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancer. Research shows that walking decreases in obese individuals and also decreases with weight gain. Staying active is essential to help fight obesity and control weight.
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Maximizing your NEAT: The thermogenesis of activity without exercise (also known as NEAT) is essentially the energy expended for anything other than formal exercise and sleep. Walking, washing the dishes, cleaning the house and just the general movement throughout the day contribute to your NEAT. If you are on your way to losing weight, NEAT can be a great tool to help you achieve your goals. Over time, NEAT can really grow and that’s what I attribute to helping me lose the last 2.5 pounds of my journey to lose 13 pounds. Walking a few times a week can burn more than 200 calories. Ultimately during the week, this can result in a substantial calorie deficit with only minimal effort.
Walking to weight loss tips
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Check the time: The last thing you want is to be caught in a storm in the middle of your walk (which has happened to me several times, so learn from my mistakes). I like to take a look at the weather report in the morning to see when the best time for my hike would be. If I usually walk around 5 pm, but the weather report is predicting rain, I can reschedule my walk for lunch. And always carry a phone loaded with you, in case the weather changes and you need someone to pick you up.
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Hydrate: If you are going for a long walk, make sure you are hydrated. Try to stay hydrated during the day and drink two glasses of water at least 30-60 minutes before your walk so that it stays out of your system (and you don’t have to use the bathroom). When returning from your walk, be sure to swallow a glass of water to hydrate your body. Avoid sugary sodas or electrolyte drinks; if you are walking at a moderate intensity, the water will serve to rehydrate your body.
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Get the right equipment: Throw away old slippers and opt for a good pair of sneakers. This will help with posture while walking and can also reduce the risk of injury. In addition, if you are wearing the right shoes, this can help improve your stride and make walking long distances more comfortable.
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Focus on shape: Walking itself does not require much skill and is very natural, but certain tips of posture and shape can help improve your walk. Focus on keeping your chin up and your shoulders straight. Your core should be activated and your back should be nice and straight. Most importantly, your buttocks should be engaged with each step and try to think of bending your butt inward. You will want to land on your heels and roll forward to propel your toes with each step.
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Pick up the pace: Walking at intervals is a great way to help you burn more calories and keep your walk interesting. When it comes to walking, there are three different types of steps: walking (similar to looking at shop windows, about 3/4 difficulty on a scale of 10), fast walking (making an effort here, about 4/5 difficulty) , and powerful walking (on a mission, about 5/6 difficulty). Warm up with a walk, then try a brisk pace while walking and increase your walking speed every five minutes to increase your heart rate. See how long you can maintain a brisk walking pace and try to increase it by a few seconds every time you go for a walk. The brisk walk to lose weight can make a big difference to your overall health.
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Set a goal: How far can you walk in 30 minutes or in 1 hour? To optimize your walking pace, try to aim at 1.5 miles per 30 minutes and 3 miles per hour, which is a fast pace of about 20 minutes per mile. If you can’t commit to walking for an entire hour or 30 minutes, do what you can, anything is better than nothing and can contribute tremendously to your daily steps.
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Walk on a slope: If you are indoors, a treadmill allows you to manipulate your incline and this can increase the caloric burn of your walk. If you are outdoors, choose a rugged area to optimize your walk. Research suggests that increasing the incline can increase the intensity of your workout, while reducing the impact on your legs and joints.
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Walk with a friend: A responsible friend can help you stay on track and make this daily walk non-negotiable. Try to find a friend, family member or coworker who will go out with you a few times a week to keep you motivated and change things.
Walking calorie calculator
Curious to see how many calories you burned on your walk? Carrying the phone with you and connecting it to one of the apps below can give you an idea, but some walking calorie calculators are also available on the web to provide an estimate. Your calorie burn will vary greatly depending on several factors, including your weight, walking distance, slope and terrain.
Moving to weight loss apps and resources
If you are going for a walk alone, make sure to keep yourself entertained and have something to look forward to. Here are some of our favorite hiking apps and audiobooks to get the most out of your walking time.
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Human: It tracks your steps and movements, focusing on active minutes instead of steps and helping you define challenges along the way.
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Peloton Digital: It offers several guided walking lessons on demand, as well as virtual scenic routes.
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ROAD ID: If you are concerned about safety while walking, this app allows your friends and family to track you while you are running and offers other safety features.
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Charity Miles: Turn your steps into cash for charity and the app donates 25 cents to a charity of your choice for every mile walk / run you complete.
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Pacer: This pedometer built into your smartphone is great for monitoring steps and activities throughout the day.
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Audible: Make your walks educational by listening to an audiobook that can help you pass the time and keep you involved.
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Spotify: It offers a wide variety of music options, playlists and podcasts for you to enjoy while walking.
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Make your way to better health: This hiking plan from our sister magazine Prevention comes with a pre-loaded MP3 player, dozens of walking exercises and more than 140 healthy recipes.
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