Walk: In addition to protecting your heart health, moderate exercise, such as taking a walk, helps you burn calories and shed fat. Therefore, it is a great ally when it comes to losing weight.
It is difficult to determine how many calories are burned when walking. It depends on factors such as the intensity of the walk, the physical condition of the person, whether they are a man or a woman, weight or fat mass, among others.
However, as a guideline, a study by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) says that a man who walks 1,600 meters in an hour burns between 88 and 124 calories, and a woman, between 74 and 105 Kcal.
It does not seem like a lot, but those calories end up helping to maintain weight, which is not little in adulthood, when – according to studies – we tend to gain a kilo each year that passes.
Table of Contents
1. Less Chance of Gaining Kilos
An investigation that followed 5,000 men and women over 15 years found that people who walked had gained much less weight than those who did not.
That is, the more you walk, the less likely you are to gain kilos. Another curious fact is that the benefit is greater in people who weigh more.
Simply by walking lightly for an hour a day, you will notice changes.
If you want to consume more calories and lose weight, you should walk at least 10,000 steps a day (about 8 km), which is recommended to achieve significant health benefits.
Considering that many of these steps are already taken without realizing it and that, according to the ACSM, the ideal place to do so is between 4 and 6 km / h, if you walk lightly for an hour a day, you will notice changes in your body. Insurance!
In any case, don’t be obsessed with intensity or distances. “The most important thing is to be constant.”
2. Less Abdomen Abdomen
Walking will help you maintain adequate weight, but, above all, it will also be of great help to lose fat in the abdominal area.
A study from the University of Nagoya (Japan) found that women who walk less than 7,500 steps a day tend to accumulate more intra-abdominal fat.
Instead, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, walking for 20 minutes a day causes you to lose up to 3 kilos of fat a year.
3. Attitude is Very Important
With a smile. Relaxed runners have been shown to go faster. When you walk, think of pleasant things, and you will be tireless.
Straighten your back. You will gain self-confidence. Studies say that when we are hunched over, more contradictory ideas come to our minds.
Don’t push yourself too hard. Rather than posing a challenge that ends up boring or exhausting, what matters is adopting the habit of walking. If you enjoy it, you will repeat it.
Use common sense. Of course, stop if you notice pain in your foot, knee, hip, or back and see your doctor. Maybe you need other shoes.
4. If You Have Little Time
Walk like you’re in a rush. A study from the University of Virginia (USA) found that women who took three short weekly walks but at a good pace lost up to six times more abdominal fat than those who walked five times a week.
Walking slow, like window shopping, is not the same.
Choose a slightly steeper terrain or walk along the beach. As it requires more effort, it will make you burn calories faster. You will also tone your abdominal muscles because the angle you will have to lift your leg will be greater.
Carry a couple of weights (half a kilo or a kilo) in each hand or just a few bottles of water. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle with your hands. It’s another way to engage more muscles and ask your heart to perform better.
5. It is Not Worth Walking Standing!
It is a mistake that is commented on in a very common way, but you should keep in mind that when you start to notice that you get a little fatigued, you are exercising your heart.
- Remember that walking to be physically active is not the same as walking.
- It must be done for a while at a pace fast enough to stimulate the cardiorespiratory system.
- You can go chatting to liven up the march but not stop to look at shop windows or the landscape.
- It is important to have the feeling that you are making a little effort. If not, even if you cover the entire planned distance, you are halfway there in cardiovascular protection.
6. Set Yourself a Realistic Goal and Get Going
We help you create your weekly walking plan, depending on how many days you have to go for a walk and depending on whether you have little excess weight (150 minutes a week walking is recommended) or a lot of kilos (300 minutes a week is approved).
If you can, go out every week.
- 5 or 6 times: walk 25-30 minutes on each walk if you have little weight left over or between 50 minutes and 1 hour if you have more kilos left over.
- 4 times: walk 37.5 minutes at each outing if you have little weight leftover or 1 hour and a quarter if you have more kilos left over.
- 3 days: walk 50 minutes a day if you have little weight leftover or 1 hour and 40 minutes if you have more kilos.
- 2 days: walk 1 hour and a quarter every day if you have little weight leftover or 2 and a half hours if you have more kilos left over.
