If you want to start an exercise, you don't need a gym full of fancy equipment. Incorporating a simple walking routine into your day can provide numerous health benefits. This can include weight loss, but your benefits might be scant if you don't address other areas of your lifestyle. As with any form of exercise, you might want to consult a doctor before beginning a walking routine for the best results.
Considerations
A brisk walk at a pace of 3 to 4 mph that lasts 30 minutes will burn about 150 calories depending on your weight, according to Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky. The rule of thumb for weight loss is that in order to lose a pound of fat, you need to burn about 3,500 calories. If you wanted to lose a single pound in a week from walking alone--no changes in your diet and no additional exercise--you would need to walk briskly for more than an hour and a half daily during the week. Therefore, walking can help you trim a few pounds, but for significant weight loss, you'll need to couple it with a healthier diet in order to see significant results.
Benefits
Regular walking does provide numerous health benefits, including preventing weight gain. Walking about 2 miles daily at a brisk 4 mph pace, which should take 30 minutes, meets the National Institute of Health recommendations of minimum physical activity. A walking program will help you reduce fat in your abdominal area, and it also can improve cholesterol levels, lower your blood pressure and make you feel energetic. It's low-impact and unlikely to cause injury, so it's a good way to start an exercise program if you live a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, it lowers your risk of a heart attack just as much as more strenuous forms of exercise, such as running, the Mayo Clinic reports.
Recommendations
In order to get weight-control benefits from walking, you need to make it at least moderately strenuous. The Mayo Clinic suggests taking your pulse periodically during your walk to ensure you're walking fast enough to elevate it. At the same time, the walk should not be so strenuous that you cannot talk while doing it. The U.S. President's Council on Physical Fitness recommends using a pedometer to track your steps and aim for 10,000 steps per day. If that is too difficult, you can work up to it. You don't need to do all the steps in one walk. Walking several times throughout the day will provide the same benefits.
Advanced
Once you've gotten into a good walking routine, you can make your workout a little more difficult to burn more calories and hasten weight loss. Walk in hilly areas, which not only will burn more calories but also will add a leg strength training aspect. Using Nordic walking poles will add to the calories you burn while improving your posture. You also can try interval training. Walk at your top speed for a few blocks or minutes during your walk, then slow down to your normal speed. Eventually, you will be able to lengthen the period you walk at your top speed.
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