Walking might not be the most strenuous form of exercise, but it is an effective way to get in shape and burn fat. While you can't spot-reduce fat, walking can help reduce overall fat (including belly fat), which, despite being one of the most dangerous types of fat, is also one of the easiest to lose.
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.
One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic exercise, such as walking ( 19 , 20 ). In one small study, women with obesity who walked for 50–70 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks, on average, reduced their waist circumference and their body fat.
Popular fitness trackers and pedometers encourage people to take 10,000 steps per day, and one 2016 study agrees that 10,000 steps are ideal. This works out to roughly 5 miles of walking. People interested in walking for weight loss should consistently hit at least 10,000 steps each day.
Walking to lose belly fat is an effective activity for total-body fat loss, too. Any form of exercise can help you burn calories and shed fat, including walking. Walking at a moderate pace for about 30 to 60 minutes per day can help you start to lose belly fat, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
In a new study, which looks at activity tracker data from 78,500 people, walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
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!
INTERVAL TRAINING WALK [20—30 MINUTES]
After walking for 3–5 minutes at an easy pace to warm up, begin repeating your interval sets. Spend 3–5 minutes walking at a brisk pace, at an intensity of about a 5–6, the power walk or jog for up to 1 minute at an intensity of an 8–9.
"Walking with straight legs puts more emphasis on your lower abdominals than walking normally because you are lifting up your entire leg rather than just from the knee up." To do it, lift your leg as high as you possibly can while taking a step forward—try to get your foot about 2 feet in the air.
Walking can tone more than just your legs. In fact, it can help you get a flatter stomach and firmer glutes too. To achieve this, you need to focus on using those target muscles while you walk. Tighten your glutes and gently draw in your waist while you walk.
Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.
If you have a big meal, your stomach doesn't magically get bigger and stay that way—it shrinks back down to its previous size in about four hours or less as your food is pushed along to the small intestine, Staller says.
Walking might be pedestrian, but it does a lot for you. So if you're doing the most pedestrian of things, putting one foot in front of the other and just walking—not jogging, not running—are you burning fat? Short answer is yes, walking for exercise burns fat.
7 Things That Happened When I Made Myself Go For A Walk Every Single Day For A Month. For a such simple, approachable activity, walking certainly does deliver some remarkable health benefits. Studies show that a daily brisk walk can help lower blood pressure, reduce belly fat, increase energy levels, and improve mood.
Walking is a great form of exercise, and doing so for 1 hour each day may aid in weight loss and provide other health benefits. Walking is an effective way to lose weight because it helps you burn more calories, especially when you monitor your calorie intake.
An hour a day is also a widely recommended goal for more advanced walkers. Health organizations usually recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of walking per day, but note that increasing your walking to 60 minutes daily gives even more health benefits.
He further explained: “For someone who maintains a stable weight, but wants to lose one kilogram per week without making any changes to their diet, they would have to walk 10kms per day for seven days to lose 1kg of fat.” He added that when it comes to the type of walking you partake in “the brisker, the better”.
How long do you have to walk for sustainable weight loss? To burn calories from your stored fat, you need to walk at this pace for at least 30 to 50 minutes, after a 10-minute warm-up at your regular pace.
While everyone loses weight differently, dropping as little as 3 to 5 pounds can show up on your face first, Eboli says.
Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.
Average walking speed by age:
20-29 years: 3.00 mph (4.83 km/h) 30-39 years: 2.82 mph (4.54 km/h) 40-49 years: 2.82 mph (4.54 km/h) 50-59 years: 2.75 mph (4.43 km/h)
What does 10,000 steps look like? Ten thousand steps equates to about eight kilometres, or an hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed.