“In fact, walking is the suggested workout over running for many people. For example, those with knee, ankle and back problems and also for people who are overweight to obese. Walking is a lower impact exercise and can be done for longer periods of time.”
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. It doesn't really matter how you get that.
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.
ACSM's Guidelines – Weekly Exercise Minimums:
Vigorous Intensity Exercise: Sprinting, rowing, jumping, swimming, cycling, playing sport at a pace in which you cannot maintain a conversation. Learn more! So, walking is simply not intense enough to be exercise, or a “workout”, for most healthy individuals.
There's now more encouraging evidence that you don't have to run marathons to make a difference in your health. A brisk 20-minute walk each day could be enough to cut your risk of early death – even if you are obese, according to new research published Jan. 14.
Walking an hour a day is a great workout and affords many physical and mental health benefits.
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.
A common misconception, however, is that you must complete these 30 minutes consecutively, Fredericson said. You can break it up into smaller segments and walk five to 10 minutes at a time multiple times throughout the day and still get the same benefits of walking 30 minutes once in a day, he says.
For example, regular brisk walking can help you: Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Improve cardiovascular fitness.
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 bottom line is that walking is a beneficial way to fulfill the daily recommended exercise for people of varying ages and fitness levels. According to the experts' recommendation, you should walk for at least 30 minutes per day and take 10,000 steps (8 km) during this duration.
Since you're most sensitive to natural sunlight within one hour of waking, morning walks are [usually best],” she adds. However, just because a morning walk gives you the most nighttime snoozing perks doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a walk if you can't do it in the morning.
The Walk at Home App features a monthly plan of videos called Your Daily Walk! Plus access to hundreds of workouts in the Walk at Home library. - Members enjoy saving time in selecting their workout!
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.
“Changing any of the variables may lead to the same exercise dose, so short, more frequent walks can be as beneficial as one longer walk,” she says. “For instance, three short walks that are 15 minutes in duration, may give you the same benefit as one 45-minute walk [at the same intensity].
THE CASE FOR A MORNING WALK
Research done in 2013 showed people could burn 20% more body fat by exercising in the morning before eating — just make sure you eat breakfast afterward. Additionally, a morning walk isn't just good for fat-burning; it may also help lower blood pressure, especially for older or obese people.
Morning walk may be better than evening walk as air is less polluted. Other advantages of morning walk are that you remain fit during the day, strictly follow your diet. Morning walkers have increased ability to complete most of their activity through the day.
"There is a strong relationship between intensity of exercise and fat-burning hormones," says Weltman. "So if you're exercising at a pace considered to be hard, you're likely to release more of these hormones." The best part: When women walk, deep abdominal fat is the first to go.
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.
How much should I walk to lose 10 kg? 30 minutes a day of brisk walking or power walking 5 days a week can help you reduce up to 10 kgs.
How far do I need to walk to lose weight? In the early stages you should aim for 6,000 steps a day, eventually progressing to a standard target of 10,000 to 12,000 steps which equates to closely 8-10km. For those who are walking to remain active and maintain their weight then 10,000 to 12,000 steps is recommended.
By following this fitness and nutrition program, the individual can expect to see steady progress towards their weight loss goal of 10 kilograms in 3 months. It's important to note that sustainable weight loss is a gradual process, and it's important to make lifestyle changes that can be maintained in the long-term.