You don't need a costly gym package to whittle your waist---you just need a good pair of walking shoes. Losing weight is fairly basic. You must burn more calories than you take in. A combination of diet and exercise is your best bet because dieting alone will cause your metabolism to slow, which can stall your weight-loss efforts. Walking sessions of just 30 minutes several days a week will help you burn your belly fat.
Step 1
Warm up with a slow walk of about 2 miles per hour. Use five minutes for your warm-up. You are burning about five calories per minute.
Step 2
Walk at a fast speed of about 4 mph for two minutes. You are burning about seven calories per minute, according to Fred A. Stutman, author of "100 Weight-Loss Tips That Really Work."
Step 3
Drop down to a brisk walk of about 3 mph for two minutes. This is your recovery time. You are burning about six calories per minute.
Step 4
Walk at a "race" pace of about 5 mph for two minutes. You are burning about eight calories per minute.
Step 5
Return to your 3 mph speed for two minutes. Alternate between a brisk, 3mph walk and a "race" walk in two minute intervals eight more times. Interval training, or alternating between higher and lower intensities, is a powerful tool for burning fat among nonathletes, says C.G. Perry, lead author for a study published in "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism."
Step 6
Walk slowly for the remaining three minutes in your workout to cool down. You've burned about 290 calories during your workout.
Step 7
Cut at least 210 calories from your daily diet on days that you walk and at least 500 calories from your diet on days that you do not. You need a calorie deficit of 500 calories daily to lose 1 lb. body fat a week, the recommended weight loss rate for successfully keeping unwanted pounds off, according to MayoClinic.com. Burning 290 calories and cutting another 210 gives you this 500-calorie deficit. Easy ways to pare calories include reducing your portion sizes, switching high-calorie foods for lower calorie choices and avoiding one high-calorie choice such as a soda.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose a level terrain if you are new to walking. Utilize an erect posture.
- Always check with a health care provider before starting a new diet or exercise regimen.
References
- "Army Field Manual FM 21-20 (Physical Fitness Training)"; U.S. Army; 2007
- "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism"; High-intensity aerobic interval training increases fat and carbohydrate metabolic capacities in human skeletal muscle; C.G. Perry et al.; 2008
- "100 Weight-Loss Tips That Really Work"; Fred A. Stutman; 2006
- "Walking Games and Activities"; June Irene Decker and Monica Mize; 2001
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss---Counting Calories
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