Can you lose weight by just walking? This question is very familiar to me as I once asked myself the same question. And the answer is YES, walking definitely helps you lose weight, but it’s worth mentioning that you also need to adopt a good eating habit if you want to see good results. Walking plus healthy food, equal to weight loss!
The good thing about walking is that it’s free and anyone can do it, parents, children, new moms, and elderly. The only thing you need is a good pair of walking shoes and some motivation! Let’s go and see the steps you need to follow so you can lose weight.
Contents
- 1
- 2
- 3 So…How to Lose Weight By Walking?
- 4 Replace Processed Food With High Fiber Aliments
- 5
- 6 Hydrates, hydrates!
- 7
- 8 Walk
- 9 How Much Should You Walk to Lose Weight?
- 10 Morning or Evening, What Burns More Energy?
- 11 How Much Can You Lose Weight by Walking
- 12 When Will I See Results?
- 13 How to Walk Properly with Good Posture
- 14 Keep Your Head Up
- 15 Lengthen your back
- 16 Keep your shoulders down
- 17 Engage Your Core
- 18 Swing Your Arms
- 19 Proper Walking Step Motion
- 20 Tips
- 21 Use Your mp4
- 22 Surpass Yourself
- 23 Opt for Nordic Walking
- 24 Conclusion
So…How to Lose Weight By Walking?
We all know that burning energy is key to weight loss. There is no secret to this; your body needs to move, but you also need to eat the right food, as I said above. Here is how you do:
Replace Processed Food With High Fiber Aliments
Don’t worry; it’s easier to do than you might think it is. You just have to get rid of refined food such as white flour, pizzas, sugar, bagels, white rice, all these fattening aliments.
Instead, replace them with high fiber foods like vegetables, whole wheat grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, quinoa, and if you crave sugar, have some dark chocolate 90% cacao. It’s very healthy, and there are chocolates with coconuts sugar, which doesn’t spike your insulin like white sugar does.
It may sound boring, but believe it; you can definitely make delicious meals with these simple healthy foods. There are many recipes on the net that can help you prepare low index glycemic meals at home.
Hydrates, hydrates!
Water is essential for your body. Do you drink water during the day? If so, how many glasses? According to research, 80% of Americans affirm not drinking water. It’s unbelievable. Not only does water help you lose weight, but it also maintains the balance of your body fluids, which keep you healthy. Water revitalizes your skin and suppresses appetite. If you don’t like water, put some lemon or mentha in it. Try to drink 5 to 8 glasses of water every day.
Walk
It’s easy to say, “I’ll walk later, or tomorrow, I don’t have time today. We all do this, but it’s the worst thing you can do for your motivation. Think about when is the best time for you to walk. And if you have a busy schedule, combine work with walking. For example, instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Get off the bus a few stations before your terminal and walk. Walk your dog if you have one. He’ll be happy and you too.
How Much Should You Walk to Lose Weight?
You should walk quite often and at a fast pace, this means, 35 minutes 4 to 5 times a week to lose weight. Less than 35 minutes wouldn’t be effective as your body starts to burn fat only after 30 minutes of cardio workout, according to studies.
If you are not used to it, gradually add more steps. But you should aim for 10000 steps a day (5 miles). The ideal pace to get good results would be 3.0 mph to 4.5 mph, meaning 15 to 20 minutes a mile.
To help you reach this goal, you can use a fitness tracker or an app. If you don’t have any of these, divide by 60 the number of minutes it takes you to walk a mile. For example, a mile took you 15 minutes, divide 60 by 15, which equals 4mph.
Morning or Evening, What Burns More Energy?
There have been a lot of debates about this subject going on. Some studies say that morning exercises keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day, which means you continue to burn fat during the day. Other research says that evening workout makes you burn more fat than in the morning because your body takes up less oxygen.
But neither study found that exercising first thing in the morning was the best choice. Anyway, exercising is great for you, whatever time you practice it. What really matters is that you stay consistent with your workout.
Don’t force yourself, I mean, if you struggle in the morning, don’t go against your body. Listening to it. Walking in the evening is just as good and maybe even better.
How Much Can You Lose Weight by Walking
It depends. If you weigh more, you’ll lose faster and more. On the contrary, if you weigh less, you’ll lose less and slowlier. As a rule of thumb, the faster you’ll walk, the more you’ll burn energy. As I mentioned above, you should walk at a fast pace 3 – 4 mph to burn more fat.
I will not speak about calories because it’s not the subject of this article, and I also don’t believe in it, and I am not the only one. Lots of studies show that it’s the high secretion of insulin that causes obesity and not calories. Exercise helps lower the insulin that your pancreas secretes, and when the insulin level decreases, that’s when you start to lose weight.
But let’s return to the question,” how much can you lose weight by walking.” If you are serious about walking, stick to it, and eat low carb food, you can lose between 1 to 2 pounds per week and maybe more depending on your age, weight, and other metrics.
When Will I See Results?
This is an excellent question, and the answer is it depends on several factors such as age, gender, weight, genetics, to name a few. Don’t forget that we all have different metabolism, which is also one of the reasons why some people lose faster than others. Let me give you some examples:
1. If you have been on a hypocaloric diet for a long time, your body might resist losing weight. If you don’t give your body the fuel it needs, it will get into “starvation mode” and store fat for future energy because it gets scared of not getting food anymore. Your body is just protecting itself.
2. Hormone issues like hypothyroidism and Cushing can cause gain weight and prevent you from losing weight. So it’s imperative to treat the syndromes first. Eating low carb food and exercising will help lower your thyroid hormone levels.
3. Menopause can also prevent you from losing weight because of a drop in estrogen levels. But that doesn’t mean you can’t reach your objective, quite the contrary. If you walk often and eat low index glycemic food, you will lose weight.
Other factors come into play, but these are the most common ones. However, you can lose weight and improve your overall health if you stay consistent and change your eating habits.
How to Walk Properly with Good Posture
Keep Your Head Up
While walking, stand tall, and make sure your chin is parallel to the ground, and your ears aligned above your shoulders.
It’s essential to keep your upper body stable and keep looking about 10 to 20 feet ahead of you.
Lengthen your back
Elongate your spine and keep it straight while you walk.
Avoid leaning forward; this can put stress on your back muscles.
Keep your shoulders down
Your shoulders should be correctly aligned when you walk. Try to keep them down and relaxed and shrug them from time to time to release tension. It will allow your arms to move easily.
Engage Your Core
As you walk, pull your belly button toward your spine. It will help your body maintain stability and relieve pressure on your back, and allows you to move more easily.
Swing Your Arms
Swing your arms back and forth from your shoulders. Make sure you don’t swing them from your elbow. Avoid swinging your arms across your body, and neither swings them up to high. Keep your arms around the midsection of your body and not around your chest.
Proper Walking Step Motion
To maintain a stable heel to toe gait, you need to strike the ground with your heel and then roll through your heel to your toe and push off with your toes. Do the same with the other leg.
Tips
Wear proper walking shoes
A good pair of walking shoes is imperative when walking to prevent injuries. If your shoes are worn out, you might not feel it right away, but it increases your joints’ stress and leads to injuries.
It can also misalign your legs and change your gait, which of course, result in back and knee pains. So make sure your shoes are in good shape.
Use Your mp4
If you don’t feel like working out, listen to music before you go out – it will get you in the mood for walking. It works every time! Try to choose music with tempo and, of course, avoid classical music. Podcasts and audiobooks are also great to keep you motivated.
Surpass Yourself
It’s not always easy, but try to walk uphill or climb stairs. It stimulates the muscles of your calves, glutes, and hamstrings. Not to mention, it makes your body burn more energy and makes you lose weight faster.
Opt for Nordic Walking
Did you know that Nordic walking burns about 20 percent more energy over one mile than normal walking? And contrary to what many people think, it’s for all ages, teenagers, adults, and seniors.
Nordic walking puts less stress on your knees and makes your upper body, arms, and core muscles work more.
Conclusion
To sum it up, walking is an excellent way to lose weight, and if you adopt good eating habits, you’ll get excellent results. Not to mention, walking also prevents many diseases and improves overall health. And when you are healthy, you are happier. So why not give it a try? Don’t wait any longer, put your shoes on, and start walking.
Did walking help you lose weight? If so, I would love to know about your experience.
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I don’t know about you, but I love my feet because they allow me to walk and go wherever I want to go. Without them, I would be lost! So I always spoil them with a good pair of walking shoes to make sure they are as comfortable as possible. If you take care of your feet, they will take care of you and your health. Well, fitted shoes will protect them and allow you to get more steps without pain!
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