Walking is a great form of exercise that can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. But how long do you need to walk in order to see results?
The chart below is a guide to how many calories you’ll burn per hour by walking. Most people will burn around 80 to 100 calories a mile but it depends on so many factors such as your weight, gender, physical fitness, and walking pace. As you get fitter, you’ll need to work harder to get the same weight loss results. Increasing intensity can increase calorie burn and can be a big help if you only have limited time for walking.
The key to losing weight through walking
The right timing for a diet break can vary from person to person, according to Werner. “Our metabolism slows down as we become smaller, we don’t need to burn as many calories,” she said. First, it gives you a psychological boost of enjoying more foods and not having to think about what you’re eating as much, which can help you stay motivated to stay on track when you return. Join our Start TODAY fitness community to get support and motivation, as well as monthly challenges that will help you to make regular exercise a long-term habit. In a light pack, you should make sure you have enough water and snacks.
Exercise like walking increases cardiovascular fitness and burns calories. Your body has to work and burn calories to move your muscles to perform activities like walking. Walking is an effective way to lose weight because it helps you burn more calories, especially when you monitor your calorie intake. Walking is a great form of exercise, and doing so for 1 hour each day may aid in weight loss and provide other health benefits.
The number of calories you burn is not an exact science, but thinking of it as the energy you expend may be more helpful. It does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
The key to losing weight through walking is consistency. You need to make sure that you are walking regularly and for a sufficient amount of time in order to burn calories and promote weight loss. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity walking per week, which breaks down to about 30 minutes per day for five days a week.
Walking strengthens muscles, keeps joints lubricated, and increases the blood flow to distribute more oxygen and nutrients, and prevents inflammation caused by tissue stagnation. In fact, the World Health Organization warns that a sedentary lifestyle could be among the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world. This is why we now use a standing desk and walking as much as possible. If you love tracking data and thrive when given specific meal recommendations daily, we highly recommend you check out the Lumen metabolism tracker. The real time nutrition recommendations based on your metabolism are effective and backed by science. As engineers, one of our favorite sayings is, ‘What gets tracked gets improved,’ and weight loss is no different.
Factors to consider
It’s important to keep in mind that the amount of weight you can lose through walking will depend on various factors, such as your current weight, diet, metabolism, and intensity of your walks. If you want to see faster results, you may need to increase the duration or intensity of your walks.
Also, keep a pair of comfortable walking shoes in the car or a bag to ensure you are always ready to walk. And bring a refillable water bottle with you throughout your day to stay hydrated. Here are some additional tips for making sure walking is part of your day. Taking a diet break can help you and prevent some of the side effects of cutting calories, said Brittany Werner, a registered dietitian for the nutrition coaching company Working Against Gravity.
In conclusion, walking is an effective form of exercise for weight loss, but it’s important to be consistent and make sure you are walking for a sufficient amount of time each week. Remember to listen to your body and adjust your walking routine as needed to reach your weight loss goals.
