You can lose weight by walking 30 minutes a day, depending on your speed, distance covered, and other factors
You can lose weight by walking 30 minutes a day, provided you walk most days of the week, or at least 5 days of the week. Simple physical activities can help in your weight loss journey because it can help you burn calories. However, how much weight you will lose depends on factors such as:
- Your speed of walking
- Distance covered each day
- Whether you walk on straight roads or slopes
- Your diet
If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you can expect to burn more than 100 calories a day. For even better results, you can try intermittent jogging or running for 5 minutes after every 15-minute walking session.
With a good exercise routine and restricting your calorie intake, you can lose 1-2 pounds per week. Before embarking on a weight loss program, however, make sure to talk to your doctor, certified nutritionist, or fitness expert, as they can help you achieve safe and effective weight loss. This is especially important if you have underlying health conditions such as heart disease.
How much to walk to lose weight
Duration
If you walk briskly for 30 minutes, you should be covering 1.5-2 miles.
Walking comes under the moderate-intensity exercise category, so you should aim to walk anywhere between 30-90 minutes. Make sure that the total duration of walking is not less than 150 minutes a week to derive maximum benefits.
If you are new to walking, you can start walking for maybe 10 minutes a day and gradually build up to longer periods.
Speed
Your walking speed should be fast enough to make your heart rate reach up to 70% of your maximum heart rate. You should be breathing harder than usual. Fitness bands can be helpful, as these can monitor your heart rate and show you whether you are exercising at the right intensity level.
Consistency
If you want to make walking a daily part of your fitness plan, be consistent. Do not skip walking for more than a day in a row.
On days when you are unable to go walking, try doing strength training exercises or jumping rope at home. Resistance training is an effective way to lose weight as it helps you build more muscles and just burn more calories. Jumping rope or other similar aerobic activities can burn 2-3 times the amount of calories as walking for the same amount of time.
How many calories does walking burn?
Depending on your weight, you can burn 100-200 calories with 30 minutes of brisk walking.You can burn anywhere between 500-1000 calories per week by doing this at least 5 days a week.
If you want to burn more calories while walking, aim for more than 30 minutes. During the first 30 minutes of walking, your body uses stored sugar (or glucose) for fuel. But when sugar stores are exhausted, your body will start to burn for energy. This happens only after you continue walking for more than 30 minutes.
Tips for safe and effective weight loss
Ideally, you should not rely solely on walking to lose weight. Try to incorporate exercises such as squats, crunches, planks, and bridges, which can be done at home without the use of any equipment. Mixing things up can keep you motivated to exercise regularly.
At the same time, don’t forget the importance of your nutritional needs. It is the combination of physical activity and eating nutrition-dense, low-calorie foods that seems to be more successful for weight loss than exercise alone.
If you feel short of breath or suffer from chest pain during brisk walking, consult your doctor before making it part of your daily routine.
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References
Mayo Clinic. Can I Lose Weight if My Only Exercise Is Walking? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/walking/faq-20058345
Bond Brill J, Perry AC, Parker L, et al. Dose-Response Effect of Walking Exercise on Weight Loss. How Much Is Enough? Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Nov;26(11):1484-93. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12439651/
Harvard Health Publishing. Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities
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