Walking is a favorite form of exercise for many people, and it’s easy to see why.
So if you’rewalking to lose weight, you’ll want to listen up!
Getting steps in each day is an excellent way to burn calories.
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“Walking is also beneficial because it can be done by anyone with minimal equipment!”
If you’re a newbie to the walking game, don’t fret.
Feel free to kickstart your journey with some short walks at a light intensity.
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you’re free to gradually increase the lengths and intensity of your walks as you progress.
With a great pair of walking shoes, you might start your weight loss journey pronto.
Be consistent.
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As you’re working your way toward your weight-loss goal, keep in mind that consistency is key.
This includes all aspects of your regimen, from diet to exercise.
Use technology to stay on track.
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Wearable tech is an excellent way to track your progress, motivate yourself, and hold yourself accountable.
Get uncomfortable.
Gatlin encourages you to get a little bit “uncomfortable.”
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Doing your walks on a flat, paved surface is all well and good.
But to give your body more of a challenge and promote weight loss, consider switching up the terrain.
“Trails require more stabilizer muscles and generally are more energy demanding,” he explains.
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The faster you walk, the greater amount of calories your body will torch, Dr. Bohl explains.
So consider adding in bursts of greater speed if you want to lose weight while walking.
Read suggests alternating one minute of powerwalking with another minute of slow-tempo walking.
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Incorporate a weighted backpack.
Have you considered “rucking,” or adding a weighted backpack, to your routine?
“Rucking is an activity that involves walking or hiking with a weighted backpack,” Dr. Bohl explains.
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Engage your arms.
Recruit a walking buddy.
Plus, it will be fun catch-up time.
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Establish a goal.
Take the stairs.
Plus, taking the stairs is chock-full of benefits.
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Working stairs into your day also promotes healthy joints, bones, and muscles.
Raise your knees 70 to 80 degrees with each step.
“Raising your knees higher increases the demand of walking,” Read tells us.
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It’s a simple but effective tweak to make in your routine.
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Add farmer’s carries or other handheld resistance.
Walk forward with the weights while maintaining good posture.
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Keep your strides quick and short.
Take shorter, more frequent walks.
Focus on hills or walking at an incline.
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Plus, it’ll sculpt muscle and strengthen your legs at the same time.
Utilizing the incline feature on a treadmill will give you the same effect as walking up a hill.
Your body puts in more work than if you were to get in your strides at a slower pace.
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Setting the incline to 2% or greater helps you torch more calories than walking on level ground.
Walk at an intensity where the conversation becomes difficult.
When it comes to the intensity of your walks, Read suggests completing a “talk test.”
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So take it in smallstepspun intended!
Keep in mind that walking is the ultimate antidote for sore legs.
Incorporate strength training into your routine.
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Even just two times a week will give you tremendous benefits if you’re not already doing so.
Rev up your protein intake.
“Ultimately, [this] aids in increasing your resting metabolism,” Landicho says.
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Increase your consumption of fruits and veggies.
Fitness and healthy eating go hand in hand.
These are both incredibly common roadblocks when dieting to lose weight, Landicho explains.
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Make small incremental increases.
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Try walking meditation.
Time your walks with the sunrise or the sunset.
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Consider timing your walks with the sunrise or the sunsetor both.
Don’t stress yourself out if you don’t meet your daily step count.
We totally get ityou’re balancing a busy schedule with dieting, fitness, and social plans.
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And sometimes, life can get in the way.
So don’t stress yourself out if you don’t meet your daily step count.
A version of this story was originally published in March 2023.
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It has been updated to include new information.
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