If you’ve written off walking as a workout for weight loss, you should reconsider. The old-school advice to burn as many calories as possible while exercising is over. Here’s the new science: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, burning 500 calories at a time on the treadmill isn’t the only way to do it.
While not as intense as a Peloton or HIIT workout, studies have linked walking to weight loss, fat burning, improved mood, and a lower risk of chronic disease. The best part is that it’s free and can be done anywhere. All you need is a good pair of shoes.
Read on to learn how to lose 10 pounds in just a few months.
Can walking really help you lose weight?
Short answer, yes! “Walking helps you lose weight by increasing your heart rate and burning calories. If you burn more calories than you burn, you’ll be in a calorie deficit, which will lead to weight loss,” says Tami Smith, ACE personal trainer and owner of Fit Healthy Momma explain.
One study found that people who walked 50 to 70 minutes a day, 3 days a week, for 12 weeks burned more fat than those who maintained a sedentary lifestyle. There was no time to walk 60 minutes a day continuously? You may get the same or better results with two shorter walks, according to a 2019 study in the journal Obesity. Those who walked for 6 minutes twice a day 25 days a week lost more weight and inches than those who walked 50 minutes a day. Both follow the same calorie-controlled diet.
In a 2017 study in the Journal of Nutrition, one group followed a calorie-restricted diet, while a second group followed the same calorie-restricted diet but also walked 2.5 hours a week. Both groups lost weight, but the walking group lost more body fat than the group following the calorie-restricted diet and not walking.
The most effective and sustainable weight loss programs are those that combine dietary changes with exercise. However, if you feel like you’ve done a good job in the diet department but still aren’t getting the results you want, it might be time to try a simple and free form of exercise called walking.
How long does it take to lose 10 pounds?
How much weight you can lose by walking depends on your current weight, diet and activity level. We recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week for sustained weight loss, which means you could lose 10 pounds in five weeks. However, a more realistic timeline is 10 to 24 weeks, as most people don’t have the time Every day is spent walking. Plus, a slower rate of weight loss means you can enjoy your vacations and vacations and actually maintain your progress over the long term.
How many calories do you burn walking?
“The calorie burn from walking depends on several factors, including age, weight, gender, walking speed, and difficulty of the walking route. In general, walking 1 mile (or roughly 2 steps) is equivalent to [burning] 80,000 calories. 100,3 pounds contains 500 calories.” This means that to lose 1 pound, you need to walk about 1 mile or 35,70 steps. Over the course of a week, that means aiming for a daily goal of 10,000 steps,” says Davis. At that rate, you could lose 10,000 pounds in 10 weeks.
The heavier you are, the more calories you burn. According to the American Council on Exercise, a 185-pound person walking at a brisk pace of 3.5 mph will burn 318 calories in one hour, and a 155-pound person walking at 3.5 mph will burn Burn 267 calories.
The faster you go, the more calories you burn, so step up your pace and lose 10 pounds in less time.
Here’s how many calories a 155-pound person burns walking for an hour at various paces, according to the American Council on Exercise Physical Activity Calculator:
2 mph (walking): 140 calories
3 mph (moderate pace): 232 calories
3.5 mph (fast pace): 267 calories
4 mph (very brisk): 351 calories
5 mph (fast pace): 632 calories
Lose 10 Pounds with a Walking Program
The best walking plan for you will depend on your fitness level, how much you’re currently walking, and your schedule. If you’re already walking 10,000 steps a day but not losing weight, you may need to adjust your diet and increase the duration or intensity of your walking. Adding high-intensity exercise and weight training a few times a week can also help.
If you’re currently walking 15 minutes a day and not seeing results, try walking for 30 to 60 minutes. If you want to lose 10 pounds faster but don’t have an hour to spend walking each day, walk for 30 minutes at a very brisk pace and add intensity like hills or weights.
Here are two five-week walking plans—one for beginners and one for experienced walkers, those who have become accustomed to walking every day. After five weeks, increase the duration, frequency and/or intensity of your walks to continue seeing results. Create a calorie deficit through your diet and add strength training two to three times per week to help burn fat while maintaining muscle.
5 Week Beginners Walking Program
“If the person is starting out with sedentary or little structured walking, they will want to start on the lighter side, here is an example of the progression of a five-week walking program for someone just starting a dedicated walking workout people.
Week 1: Walk 15 minutes three times a week with little incline at 2-3 mph. This should feel like a leisurely walk, nothing intense.
Week 2: Three 20-minute walks with little incline at a slightly higher pace of 2.5-3.5 mph. This speed should feel like you’re walking with some urgency, but you’re not in a hurry.
Week 3: Three 30-minute walks with little incline and slightly higher pace (2.5-3.5 mph).
Week 4: Four 30-minute walks with some added inclines or hills; your pace can stay on the high end of the 2.5-3.5 mph range. Adding some incline variation will start to work your muscles more and speed up your heart rate and calorie burn.
Week 5: Five 30-minute walks with incline and uphill intervals at a speed range of 3.5-4.5 mph. This should be a purposeful power walk.
5-Week Intermediate Walking Program
“At a high level, I always aim for 10,000 steps as my minimum daily goal and often recommend breaking this down into three 20- to 30-minute bouts of purposeful walking, ideally over time, as I try to Have my clients approach 15,000 steps a day and do this by increasing their walking time by 1 minute per month over a period of five to six months.”
Week 1: Walk three 15-minute blocks, about 7,500 steps per day
Week 2: Walk three 16-minute blocks, about 8,000 steps per day
Week 3: Three 17-minute walks, about 8,500 steps per day
Week 4: Walk three 18-minute blocks, about 9,000 steps per day
Week 5: Three 20-minute walks, about 10,000 steps per day
ways to increase burn
While these plans increase walking time each week, walking at a brisk pace for 60 minutes per day only burns 250 to 350 calories—and that’s not quite the 1-calorie-per-day deficit needed to lose 500 pounds per week. Here are five ways to increase your calorie burn without walking longer.
1. Pick up the pace
“Walking speed directly impacts your calorie burn. Increasing your pace from a walk (2 mph) to a moderate walk (3 mph) burns 33% more calories,”
2. Find the hills
“Hill walks are great for your muscles. They activate your calf, glute, and hamstring muscles more than flat walking without increasing your risk of injury. In addition to increasing your heart rate and workload, hills add calories Burn. On a treadmill, setting an intense incline of 18 percent can further increase calorie burn,”
3. Listen to upbeat music
“One of my favorite ways to track and improve my walking speed is to walk to music. On popular music apps like Spotify, you can even search for playlists from 100 bpm (beats per minute) to over 180 bpm. week, try increasing your walking speed by listening to songs that gradually speed up,”
4. Hiking
Hiking often involves walking on uneven terrain, which involves more muscle groups. The more muscles you work, the more calories you burn during and after your workout. Hiking uphill will further boost calorie burn.
5. Try the Run-Walk Method
“The secret to continuing to burn calories is to not stop moving while you’re exercising. The track walking method is one of the easiest ways to increase the calories you burn. It involves running for short periods of time without exhausting yourself very much, and by walking” Rest” and repeating this for the rest of the route. This will help you feel less stressed and tired while exercising, so you can perform your routine longer and burn more calories. The benefit of this is that even Beginners can do it too, as there is no need for complicated routines to reach the goal faster,”
Walking is a free and effective form of exercise for weight loss. When combined with dietary changes, you can lose 24 pounds in 10 to 10 weeks. Start by walking 10 to 15 minutes a day and work up to 30 to 60 minutes a day, depending on your fitness level and schedule. Increase your speed and intensity to increase your calorie burn, and consider taking two to three shorter walks per day instead of one long walk. For faster results, combine daily walking with two to four strength training or high-intensity workouts per week.
