Why Walking Is Key to Losing Weight And Keeping It Off
June 29, 2022Walking may be a key to losing weight, but it also offers a variety of other advantages, like stimulating creativity, enhancing heart health, and increasing balance. Another advantage that is sometimes ignored is that walking daily might help you maintain weight, particularly if you've recently lost weight. Maintaining weight reduction is more difficult for many individuals than losing it in the first place.
Walking is good for weight reduction because it gets your heart pounding and helps you burn calories; adding just 30 minutes of walking to your daily routine might help you burn up to 150 calories every day.
As you become better, you burn more calories, your metabolism speeds up, and you start walking more. Walking on its own may help you lose weight, but it's far more beneficial when paired with a calorie-controlled diet.
Obese individuals were urged to reduce their daily calorie consumption by 500–800 calories over 12 weeks in weight-loss research. One group walked three hours each week at a 3.7 mph pace, whereas the other did not. While both groups lost significant weight, the walking group lost around 4 pounds more than the non-walking group.
Walking is a low-cost, easy-to-do exercise that may help you stay active while improving your overall health and well-being. Fitness apps and watches, for example, may assist you in keeping track of how many steps you take each day. However, suppose you want to step up your fitness regimen even slightly. In that case, consider hiring a personal trainer to help you discover the ideal routine and plan for your objectives and physique.
Experts Explain Why Walking Is Key To Losing Weight And Keeping It Off
Walking Improves Metabolism
Your metabolism adjusts as you lose weight and need fewer calories. One of the reasons many individuals battle with weight regain is because, with their newly modified metabolism, they revert to their pre-weight loss diet. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is one approach to keep your metabolism churning (NEAT). "This might involve walking around the home or doing errands," adds Nick Garner, a certified personal trainer, "which can assist keep your metabolism working at a higher level to maintain your body composition."
A Small Amount Of Recovery Is Required
"A walking workout is simple to recover from since it's a lower-intensity exercise," explains Garner. There are a few significant advantages here. For starters, walking will not affect your performance in other types of exercise. This implies you may increase your physical activity without jeopardizing your main exercise. Second, increasing your heart rate many times a day may have health advantages. "Being active helps digestion by keeping the heart pumping blood and distributing nutrients throughout the body," adds Garner.
Walking Has The Ability To Improve Performance
Not only is walking simple to recover from, it is also an active rehabilitation in and of itself. "Walking will aid in your recovery from exercises, allowing you to train at a higher intensity more often," adds Garner. "According to a recent study, various things may be done to speed up recovery after exercise. For example, walking has been shown to reduce symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness, allowing for greater exercise throughout the week. Walking is far more accessible and cost-effective than therapy such as massage or compression gear."
Walking Is Almost Impossible To Cause Injury
Maintaining your weight requires being active on a regular basis, which is difficult to accomplish if you're injured. "When you compare walking to running, there is less pressure on joints like the lumbar spine, hips, knees, and ankles," explains Kerry Gustafson, a registered massage therapist, and sports trainer. "If you're not in pain, you're also more likely to adhere to a program."
Walking Requires Minimal Maintenance
It's simple to keep consistent with walking no matter where you are, since all you need is a pair of comfy shoes and no special instruction or place. "Not everyone can run, use weights, or go to the gym," Liz Smith, a qualified personal trainer, points out. "Walking can be done at any time of day, whether it's first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, to get out of a slump in the afternoon, or after dinner," she says. While you may always improve your technique, walking is something you instinctively know how to do. No elaborate instructions are required.
Walking Is A Way Into Other Types Of Exercise
"Most people love walking, which is a huge positive for consistency," Gustafson says. "I see customers who didn't like exercising in the past but now like pushing themselves while walking faster. They are shocked to discover that they love walking as a form of exercise after establishing a habit, which leads to their joining up for local races or fun runs/walks. My customers are more likely to continue completing an exercise if it is fun, making weight loss management simpler."
Walking Helps To Relieve Stress
According to Ashlee Van Buskirk, a qualified personal trainer, "mental well-being is crucial for any weight-loss process." Studies have linked stress and weight increase; therefore, controlling stress levels is critical for weight loss. Walking, like other forms of physical activity, stimulates the production of endorphins in the brain, which may help reduce stress, sadness, and anxiety. A regular 30-minute walk may help you enhance your memory and brain function and contribute to long-term favorable brain changes. Anyone who has recently lost weight would benefit greatly from such emotional assistance.
Walking Sets The Mood For Healthy Activities
According to Mike Clancy, a qualified strength and conditioning consultant, walking may be a catalyst for healthy decision-making and beneficial behaviors. When you go for a stroll, you're putting yourself in an atmosphere free of desires and boredom, Clancy explains. Moving your body makes you feel good, and pleasant sentiments lead to better food choices and decisions as the day progresses.
Power Walking In Intervals
Intervals of power walking may be an efficient strategy to improve the number of calories burned when walking. To begin power walking in intervals, a person should warm up by walking for 5 to 10 minutes. Then pick up the speed for 10 to 15 seconds at an unpleasant but manageable rate before returning to a regular walking pace. This may be done throughout the walk or as long as the individual is able. Starting with 5 minutes of interval training every walk, a person may gradually add additional power walking intervals to their walks.
Walking Is Key To Losing Weight And Keeping It Off
As you can see, walking is key to losing weight and keeping it off. Walking daily helps you in every way through your journey to better health!
Tammy J. Colter is an OH staff writer and has proudly served the ObesityHelp community since 1999, helping members and professionals alike. Tammy wears many hats at ObesityHelp, she works as an author, editor, and account manager. Read more articles by Tammy!
