You need to walk more than 30 miles to burn enough calories to lose a pound of fat, depending on your body weight. That's good news, considering that you can cover roughly 2.9 miles walking at a moderate pace for 50 minutes. Losing weight gradually with a healthy combination of a balanced diet and exercise improves your chances of keeping the weight off long-term.
Factors
A daily 50-minute walk makes an effective weight-loss strategy, as long as your diet stays in check. Ultimately, you need to exercise more, eat less or combine these strategies to see a change on the scales. You can expect a modest amount of weight loss from exercise alone if you don't make any increases in your calorie intake. However, you can boost your weight-loss potential by complementing your daily walk with small changes in your diet.
Concerns
A regular walking routine helps with weight loss and leads to better health, such as improvements to blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as increases in energy, endurance and bone strength. However, it's important to build up to 50-minute workouts gradually. Start with 15- to 20-minute walks and add five minutes a week to your time until you reach your target. Pay attention to your body and consider taking one day off from your walking routine to give your muscles time to rest and recover.
Potential
Increasing the time you spend exercising contributes to weight loss by burning calories you might otherwise store as fat. The speed of your walks and your body weight affects the number of calories you burn in 50 minutes. A 160-pound individual burns an estimated 231 calories walking for 50 minutes at 3.5 mph, but burns more than 380 calories walking at a speed of 4.5 mph. The higher your body weight, the more calories you burn during aerobic exercise. To put weight-loss potential in perspective, a 160-pound person burns roughly 1,617 calories over the course of a week, walking 50 minutes a day at a moderate speed. It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb.
Considerations
Consider making small changes in your diet to boost your weight loss. Look for simple ways to cut calories, such as reducing your portion sizes by 10 percent, replacing sweetened beverages with water, and choosing grilled or baked entrees over fried options. Shaving 250 calories from your usual daily intake adds another 3,500 calories, the equivalent of 1 lb., to your monthly deficit. If you have a history of heart or health problems, work with your doctor to design an exercise and eating regimen that's right for you.
References
- MedlinePlus: Exercise and Weight Loss
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight
- ACE: American Council on Exercise: A Walk a Day
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in One Hour
- ACE: American Council on Exercise: Trimming Off the Fat
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Small Steps
Member Comments