Does Power Walking Help Lose Weight?

Like other forms of aerobic exercise, walking can help you burn calories and lose weight. Power walking is walking at a speed of 4-5 mph, slightly less than slow jogging. When you power walk, you will burn many more calories than you would by walking at a leisurely pace. Fit walking into your schedule by walking to work or taking walks on your lunch break. In order to lose and maintain weight, you must supplement exercise such as walking with changes to your diet.

Calorie Equation

In order to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. To lose 1 pound, you must burn 3,500 calories more than you consume over a period of days, according to MayoClinic.com. Thus, to lose 1 pound in one week, you must cut 500 calories each day. You could burn 500 calories each day through exercise, or you could cut 250 calories from your daily diet and burn 250 calories each day. To lose 2 pounds in one week, you would have to cut 500 calories from your daily diet and burn 500 calories each day.

Estimated Calories Burned

One hour of walking at 2 mph can burn about 183 calories for a 160-lb. person, 228 calories for a 200-lb. person and 273 calories for a 240-lb. person, according to MayoClinic.com. One hour of walking at 3.5 mph can burn about 277 calories for a 160-lb. person, 346 calories for a 200-lb. person and 414 calories for a 240-lb. person.

Considerations

The exact number of calories you burn while walking depends on several factors. The more you weigh, the more energy you will use while walking and the more calories you will burn. The harder you work, the more calories you will burn. For example, you can burn more calories by walking faster or walking up a hill. Finally, the longer you spend walking, the more calories you will burn. If you can't power walk for 30 or 60 minutes at a time, try to fit 10-minute walks into your schedule several times a day.

Health Benefits

In addition to helping you lower your weight, walking can help you achieve many other health benefits. Like other forms of aerobic activity, walking regularly can help you reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and metabolic disorders and improve your mood and energy level. Walking provides a low-impact form of weight-bearing exercise that can help adults with osteoporosis build stronger bones safely, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Expert Insight

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, recommend that adults spend at least 2 hours and 30 minutes exercising at moderate intensity or 1 hour and 15 minutes exercising at high intensity each week. The CDC recommends that you exercise for at least 10 minutes at a time. Before you begin your power-walking workout, you should warm up by walking slowly for about five minutes to increase blood flow to your leg muscles, according to MayoClinic.com. Stretch after your warm-up and before your workout, and then cool down for five minutes after your workout. Follow the cool-down with a final round of stretching.