How Much Do You Really Need To Walk To Lose Weight?

Regardless of age or fitness level, a special walking program combined with proper nutrition can be a great way to lose weight. In order to do it right and achieve your goals, you need to make sure you are walking enough, in the right intensity and paying attention to your diet.

Here's what you need to know and how to get started:

WALKING TIME AND WEIGHT LOSS

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), individuals should aim to participate in a medium intensity walking program for at least 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes per week, but at least 30 minutes on average. While this helps you stay in the fight against cardiovascular fitness and other health conditions, if you want to lose weight, you'll probably want to do a little more.

ACSM recommends that you do this walking program for up to 200 - 300 minutes per week (3.3–5 hours) for anyone who is obese and wants to lose weight. If you look at it, a walk 4-5 days a week will be enough to reach your weight loss goals. The extra time you spend on it increases your overall calorie burning and fitness level.

WALKING DENSITY

Not all walks are equal. It is important to make sure that your heart rate reaches an average intensity level during your walk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate-intensity exercise is defined as an activity that raises your heart rate to 50-70% of your maximum heart rate.

If you decide to increase intensity - including short running times - exercise at a strong activity level (70-85% of your maximum heart rate), divide it in half to get the same benefits. In other words, an average 60-minute walk is the same as a 30-minute walk/run at a strong intensity level.

The most accurate way to measure the intensity level is by using a heart rate monitor, but you can also track your perceived effort. On a scale of 0-10 (sitting 0, 10 is the highest possible power), it is 5-6 of medium intensity, and strong activity begins at 7.

EATING FOLLOW-UP

Calculating and recording your daily steps, mileage, time and exercise intensity is essential when trying to lose weight. But the last part of the equation - nutrition - is equally important. It can help you more accurately view the amount and types of food you consume with MyFitnessPal. This way, you can make informed decisions about smarter portion sizes and where to cut excess calories to find a healthy deficit that allows you to lose weight and lose weight.

RESULT

Start by walking a little more each day than you normally would until you do an hour 4-5 times a week. If you continue to be fast-paced and take care of your diet, you can achieve effective weight loss.