“If the goal is weight loss, HIIT, circuit training or heavy resistance training will be much more effective long-term than a 30-minute walk,” says Bergeron. There are two main reasons for this. First, these activities build muscle mass, which will help you burn more calories at rest.
According to research published in the journal BMC Public Health, a walk outdoors is better for your body and mind than pounding the treadmill.
Those who engaged in “regular, brisk walking” for longer than half an hour had lower Body Mass Indexes (BMI) and smaller waists than those who did other exercise such as going the gym or playing football or rugby. The results were particularly true for women, people over 50 and those on low incomes.
But is walking good enough exercise? The short answer is yes. “Walking is just as good as any other form of exercise,” says University Hospitals pediatric sports medicine specialist Laura Goldberg, MD. “The guidelines are 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week.
Going to the gym for 1 hour is better than walking in most cases. The biggest reason for this is due to the wide variety of machines and exercises you can do at a gym. However, any exercise is better than none, and walking in a park or on a treadmill at home is free.
Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.
You do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your 150 minutes of weekly exercise, as recommended in the physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64.
Walking is particularly effective for toning your legs and bum, she adds. “The muscles you use when walking include your calf muscles, thighs and buttocks, so these areas will become more toned and shapely.” However, walking may not tone all areas of the body.
1. Aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise, which speeds up your heart rate and breathing, is important for many body functions. It gives your heart and lungs a workout and increases endurance.
Drawbacks of Morning Exercise
And there are other drawbacks to walking in the morning. Body temperature is at its lowest one to three hours before awakening, making the morning a time of naturally lower energy and blood flow. Cold, stiff muscles may be more prone to injury.
An average person has a stride length of approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile and 10,000 steps would be almost 5 miles.
How much weight you can lose from walking depends on your current weight, diet and activity level. We recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week for sustainable weight loss, which means you could potentially lose 10 pounds in five weeks.
While walking builds some muscle, it isn't the big, bulky muscle mass that comes from spending a lot of time in the gym. Rather, walking creates a leaner muscle tone throughout one's body, particularly in lower muscle groups. Muscles grow after being stressed enough to break down in the first place.
Studies show walking is one of the best ways to shed belly fat, in less time than you think. Researchers reviewed 40 years of studies on exercise and belly fat and found that just 2 1/2 hours of brisk walking a week--about 20 minutes a day--can shrink your belly by about 1 inch in 4 weeks.
In terms of how the type of walking you need to do to lose weight, a brisk pace is recommended. Walking for 30-90 minutes several days each week will help you to lose weight. Walking at a brisk walking pace for 30 minutes typically results in a distance walked of 1.5-2 miles or 3,000-4,500 steps.
After 3-4 days of walking: you will notice the “better fit” or more room in your clothes! After 7 days of walking: real changes are happening! You have used body fat as energy (fat burning!) Muscles feel more toned!
The Importance of Walking 5km or at least 30 Minutes a Day
Walking burns calories and therefore helps with weight management, maintenance and/or fat loss. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease.
Studies have consistently found that regular walking can have great health benefits.
The most effective exercise to burn stomach fat is crunches. Crunches rank top when we talk of fat-burning exercises. You can start by lying down flat with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Lift your hands and then place them behind the head.
Walking for a mile which is about 1.6 km has the potential to burn almost 100 calories, depending on your body structure and weight. Walking regularly also helps reduce health risks. If you want to increase the intensity of your walks and burn more calories, you could walk on paths that have slopes or slight inclines.
While one study found that walking just 4,400 steps per day reduces the risk of death by 41% compared to walking fewer than 2,700 steps per day, the mortality risk decreases as you walk. Therefore, walking 20000 steps per day is a fantastic workout.
Yes! Walking is a good form of exercise that helps you burn calories. But when walking to lose weight you need to follow a balanced diet that provides the right number of calories and nutrients to support your health and your weight loss.