If you like and deploy the easiest form of physical activity, walking, that you are likely to lose more than a pound per week! That means more than 20 pounds in a period of five months, only with walking, no rigorous diets, no intense training sessions.
Besides helping you build some muscle mass and lose a few pounds, walking will also keep you in good health. Just follow the routine given below and you will see the results soon.
Walk and Lose Weight
There are two important factors that influence how much calories you burn during walking – your body weight and the walking speed. Walking with an average pace of four m/h will result in burning about 400 calories in just 1 hour.
And that’s the required minimum. If you want, you can increase the walking distance. For example, walk additional 2 miles and burn additional 200 calories a day. To keep track of how long your walking distances are, buy a pedometer. You will find this device very useful.
How Will a Pedometer Help You Lose Weight?
A pedometer or a band around your wrist will assist you in monitoring your daily walking routines. You will be able to adjust the distances you walk according to your set goals and the results you want to achieve.
Make sure you wear your pedometer near the hips. Don’t worry, it is light and it won’t be an obstruction. Its job is to count how many steps you make throughout the day.
Once you figure out the distance you walk every day, you will find out how much more you need to walk to lose those few extra inches, by either increasing the speed, distance, or just make longer steps.
So, what if you make about 7000 steps a day and your body weight stays fixed? Keep reading and find out.
What is the Optimal Number of Steps Needed to Lose Weight?
The optimal number that results in a calorie burn and weight loss for most people is 2000 steps per mile. With this number, you will be able to burn about 100 calories per mile. The pedometer comes handy here, to count the steps and the miles. If you feel that you have extra energy, you don’t need extra exercise, just increase the number of steps you make in a day.
One mile = 2 000 steps, 100 calories burnt
One pound = 3 500 calories
One pound lost weight/week = 500 calories/day
This calculation means that you need to walk 10 000 steps a day to lose a pound of weight in one week.
You don’t need to start with 10 000 steps right away. Start with 2000 or 3000 and increase the number of steps slowly. Here are some suggestions on how to increase the number of steps you make in a day:
— Use the public transport as rarely as possible. Walk to work and back home whenever you can, or get off the bus a few stations before. Avoid using taxis.
— The same counts for your car. Park it a few miles before your final destination and walk.
— Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
— Walk your children to school instead of driving them.
More advanced pedometers can tell you how many calories you have burnt and how many pounds you have lost. In that case, you will know exactly how much more you should walk in a day.
That is why investing in a high-quality sophisticated pedometer pays off. It contributes to more efficient weight loss and is also recommended by the American Medical Association.
Make Walking Fun
In order to make walking fun, avoid using the same path at the same time, every day of the week. Try to make some changes in the routine from time to time to avoid boredom.
Walk to two or three times a week, and back home the rest of the work days. At the weekends, go to the park or walk around your neighborhood, or to the supermarket and back.
Put on your favorite tunes to motivate and inspire you.
Prepare for the cold winter days. Save some money and invest in a treadmill. You’ll be able to walk while watching your favorite TV series.
Find yourself some company. A friend, a colleague, or a family member can accompany you at least once a week to break the usual routine.
A boring monotonous routine can kill your motivation and you don’t want that to happen!
What Walking Style Should You Deploy?
Walking is not a science. We’ve all been doing it since we were toddlers. Maybe that is the reason we don’t look at it as a physical activity that can result in weight loss.
However, in order to make it as efficient as possible, you should adopt this walking technique:
Focus your eyes 100 feet in front of you;
Keep the chin up;
Squeeze the glute muscles on the hips;
Tighten the abdominal muscles;
Straighten your spine.
Walking Frequency
Before you start any type of physical activity, consult with your physician who will check if you are ready and advice which type of activity suits you best.
If your doctor gives you the green light for walking, start by walking for about 20 minutes, three days a week. Increase the frequency gradually until you have reached half an hour or, even better, a whole hour of walking 7 days in the week.
There is no easier way to lose weight in no time. The best part is that you don’t need to starve yourself!
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