Just like any activity, there are many benefits to walking every day. Whether it’s extra steps in the parking lot when you park further away from the door, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or pacing in your office while you talk on the phone, movement is always beneficial. It eases joint pain, boosts your energy, strengthens your heart, and improves your mood.
But what if you have more measurable goals, like weight loss, and want to use walking to get there? Is it even possible to burn enough calories just by going for a walk? Is walking enough of a workout to lose belly fat? Yes! Especially if your body craves low-impact movement, walking really can be your best workout for weight loss.
Here are some walking weight loss tips that we suggest:
- Walk for an hour a day. If you can’t do sixty minutes all at once, do two thirty minute sessions. Think about how you can fit that in when you first wake up, during your lunch break, or in the evening.
- Combine your healthy walking routine with changes in the kitchen. For the most part, weight loss is calories in vs. calories out, and the value of those calories count. So make sure that you’re fueling your body with healthy food rather than junk. Researching foods to eat to lose weight is key if you don’t want to undo your efforts each day.
- Change up your speed. Sometimes I use my playlist to help with this, mixing up a faster song followed by a slower song and allowing my pace to shift with the beat of the music. You always want to maintain a brisk clip to keep that heart rate up. Just make sure you have dependable gear to protect your phone while you're changing speeds. The last thing you want is for your iPhone 13, Galaxy S22, or other pricey phone to tumble from your hand or pocket in the middle of a pace change! Get a no-slip, weather- and sweat-proof walking armband that protects your phone from drops, carries any extras you need, and sits comfortably on your arm with the help of memory foam backing.
- Add weights or resistance. You could consider a weighted vest that shouldn’t impact your gate or posture or you can pause between each song for squats, lunges, push-ups, or crunches. Mixing a little strength work into your cardio gets your body burning more calories.
- Climb that mountain. Or at least the neighborhood hill or utilize the incline on the treadmill. Stairs or hills push you a bit, and both the incline and decline are beneficial.
Just don’t let your routine become, well, routine. As with any weight loss workout plan, you have to constantly be pushing your body for a little bit more. But if walking for weight loss is your preferred exercise to lose belly fat or otherwise slim down, you can most definitely hit your goals as long as you log the miles.
Start your favorite playlist or podcast, get outside, and get that blood flowing!
