Increased physical activity in conjunction with healthful eating is a time-tested formula for weight loss. Walking is a basic, inexpensive form of exercise that can help you reach your goal weight. Whether you use a treadmill, hit the trail or walk in place in your living room using an exercise video, the key to weight loss is to get active and stay active.
Goals
Before you start walking for weight loss, determine your healthy weight range. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute provides an online body mass index, or BMI, table that can help you identify an appropriate weight target based on your height. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.
Set realistic exercise goals as you begin your walking routine. In order to avoid injury, the Weight Control Information Network recommends that you "slowly work up to a moderate-intensity pace." When you shed pounds gradually, at an average rate of 1 to 2 pounds a week, you are more likely to keep the weight off.
Shoes
Walking is a low-impact, inexpensive exercise option. All you really need to get started is a good pair of walking shoes. Invest some time in your shoe selection to make sure you get the right style and fit. A visit to a specialty shoe store will help you determine whether you need cushioning, stability or motion control shoes, based on your level of pronation during walking. If your feet roll to the inside during walking, this indicates overpronation and a need for stability or motion control shoes. Underpronation, the excessive outward roll of the foot during walking, indicates the need for cushioning shoes. Finding the right shoes will ensure comfort during your walking and help you avoid unnecessary injury.
Function
In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. A deficit of 3,500 calories translates into a pound of weight loss. If you add walking to your daily routine and monitor your food intake, you can work toward sustainable, healthy weight loss. Your body weight, the duration of your walk and your speed determine the number of calories you burn during a workout. According to Harvard Health Publications, a 125-pound person walking at a pace of 3.5 miles per hour for 30 minutes will burn 120 calories. For the same workout, a 155-pound person burns 149 calories and a 185-pound person burns 178 calories. Up that pace to four miles per hour and the calories burned increases to 135, 167 and 200, respectively.
Time Frame
The American Dietetic Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily for good health. When you're trying to lose weight, the recommendation increases to 60 minutes of physical activity each day. If you don't have 60 minutes for a single session, you still get the benefits when you break your routine up into shorter walks throughout the day. The bottom line is that when you add more time to your walking routine, whether all at once or at intervals during the day, you burn more calories and improve your overall health.
Considerations
Setting a goal to get healthier and shed pounds will help you jump-start a walking regimen. Once you've gotten started, you need to take steps to keep you focused and committed. Consider enlisting a walking partner to help you stay motivated for the long term. When you have someone depending on you, you're less likely to skip out on a workout. Sign up for charity walks or races to give you specific mileage goals to work toward. Take care of your feet by replacing your walking shoes every 400 to 500 miles.
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