Determined to shed a few pounds? Chances are you’ll be better served by hitting the pavement instead of scrolling on social media in search of the latest diet fad. Something as simple as walking for weight loss isn’t only possible, but highly effective as well.
Ahead, experts tell us how and why it works. Plus: their must-know walking for weight loss tips and tricks.
5 Benefits of Walking for Weight Loss
While you might be led to believe that you need to huff, puff, and sweat buckets to get an effective workout to lose weight, this is actually far from the truth.
According to Kaitlyn Comeau, RD, PN1-SSR, a registered dietitian and group fitness instructor in Nova Scotia, Canada, walking might be the most underrated fitness modality out there. “Walking can be an effective way to lose weight, especially when done consistently and combined with a balanced diet,” she explains. “It’s another tool in the weight loss toolbox—and one that’s low impact, making it a great choice for many.”
1. Walking Burns Calories
To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. Walking, whether at a leisurely or rapid pace, can help you get the job done. “The number of calories burned depends on various factors, including walking speed, duration, and body weight,” she explains. “Generally speaking, an adult could burn 100 to 200 calories with a 30-minute brisk walk.” (Not a bad deal for spurts that many of us already get during our work commutes, while shopping, or stepping out for lunch.)
2. Walking Positively Affects Glucose Levels
“Regular walking helps improve insulin sensitivity, making it easier for the body to manage blood sugar levels,” Comeau continues. “This is crucial for preventing energy crashes and managing hunger.”
P.S. Healthy glucose levels are important for weight management and overall health alike. If you’re looking for some extra help on the blood sugar front, check out HUM’s Best of Berberine. Berberine (which has been likened to ‘nature’s Ozempic’) supports healthy glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as promotes a healthy gut microbiome.
3. Walking Supports Hormonal Balance
Getting your steps in can also keep a variety of hormones in check that can support your weight loss journey. “Walking reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can decrease cravings for high-calorie, comfort foods,” says Comeau. In addition, she says that walking can decrease hunger hormones and increase satiety hormones (aka ghrelin and leptin, respectively).
4. Walking Boosts Bone and Muscle Health
“Walking is also a weight-bearing activity, which means it boosts your bone and muscle health, which is crucial for women,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN, founder of BZ Nutrition. In terms of weight loss, she adds that more muscle means a greater calorie burn—no matter if you’re at rest, walking, or going about your daily life.
5. Walking Boosts Mental Health and Overall Well-Being
Walking won’t only help you drop pounds. It can also help you gain more feel-good hormones and better sleep, says Zeitlin. “In turn, this helps us to better manage food cravings, overeating, and emotional eating: things that usually put weight on us,” she shares. (Extra benefits of walking in the form of vitamin D and fresh air go to those who walk outdoors vs. on the treadmill, but you really can’t go wrong either way.)
Walking also promotes healthy aging and flexibility. In short, it’s a form of movement you’ll want to prioritize over the years, even after you’ve achieved your goal weight.
How to Walk Your Way to Weight Loss
“For those looking to rely on walking as a primary form of cardio for weight loss, consistency and progression are key,” says Comeau. Here are the experts’ top tips and tricks.
Put in the Time
Comeau suggests aiming for at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity walking per week (i.e., 30 to 60 minutes per day) over at least 5 days. “For more significant weight loss, extending your walks up to 90 minutes daily can be beneficial,” she explains.
Zeitlin adds that you can break these into intervals that work for you on a given day—say, by extending your morning commute on some days or doing a few extra laps around the block after dinner on others.
“Find a routine that fits into your lifestyle,” Comeau advises. “My personal favorites are first thing in the morning to start my day with sunlight, and short walks after meals.” Bonus: The former helps regulate your circadian rhythm (for daytime energy, better sleep come nighttime, and more balanced hormones) while the latter aids digestion and blood sugar alike.
Keep Tabs on Your Pace
It can be helpful to track your walking for weight loss journey via minutes/hours and step count (the latter of which Zeitlin cites as at least 8,000 steps to boost overall health). However, you may want to eventually pick up the pace to accelerate your cardiovascular output and calorie burn even further.
“Start at a comfortable pace and gradually increase your speed to a brisk walk (3.5 to 4 mph),” Comeau advises. At this rate, your breathing should be noticeable but you should still be able to comfortably hold a conversation. “If you’re looking for more intensity, add short bursts of fast walking intervals where you walk at a near-jogging pace for 1 to 2 minutes, followed by a slower recovery pace for 3 to 4 minutes,” she continues. (FWIW, when I do my own hot girl walks on the treadmill, this kind of interval work helps my endurance so I don’t tap out too early.)
Go Hiking or Add an Incline
When it comes to walking, hikes and inclines make my heart sing in more ways than one. Personally, I love the extra challenge and knowing that it’ll yield me even better results—including but not limited to greater calorie burn—in a shorter time than walking on flat earth alone.
“Walking on varied terrain, such as trails or sand, engages more muscles and increases intensity,” she adds.
Crunch Some Numbers
If you skew a bit type A and love precision (just me?), Zeitlin says you can do a bit of mental math to determine just how much you need to walk to lose weight. She reminds us that the average person builds about 100 calories per mile and that a pound is 3,500 calories. Basically, this means that the average person needs to walk 35 miles to burn off one pound, so you may want to aim to walk 35 miles weekly to shed a pound per week.
“Again, you may burn a bit less or a bit more than 100 calories per mile depending on your current weight,” she shares. Still, this ballpark figure can help lead the way to keep your goals in check and your weight loss journey on track.
Stay Consistent
Again, consistency is crucial to achieve pretty much any goal. “While some people may see initial results within 2 to 4 weeks, sustained weight loss and fitness improvements typically take 8 to 12 weeks,” Comeau explains. However, these timelines hinge upon your walking regularity and effort—not to mention your diet, health status, and other crucial factors.
Pair Walking and Strength Training
While walking is a great idea no matter if you want to lose weight or maintain good health, so too is strength training.
“Adding strength training 2 to 3 times a week helps build lean muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate,” Comeau shares. Again, this means that you’ll burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. Amazing, amirite? “Strength training also helps preserve muscle during weight loss, ensuring that most of the weight lost comes from fat rather than muscle,” she continues.
The Takeaway
Walking for weight loss can be a powerful and effective way to lose weight—not to mention safe and easy to integrate into even the busiest schedules. Still, your best bet is to tweak other parts of your routine at the same time.
“While walking is a great starting point for weight loss, combining it with strength training and a balanced diet is crucial for long-term success and will give you a bigger bang for your buck,” Comeau explains. “That said, no amount of exercise can outdo a poor diet.”
With that in mind, both Comeau and Zeitlin advise:
- Prioritizing protein at each and every meal to promote satiety, weight management, and muscle repair
- Staying hydrated (not only because thirst can be mistaken for hunger)
- Being mindful of portion control and hunger cues (essentially eating smarter, and not necessarily more, to curb increased hunger from exercising)
Zeitlin also emphasizes proper fueling before and after your walks. “Fuel for it the way you fuel any workout, drink plenty of water, and snack and hydrate within 30 minutes post-walk,” she advises. “A great post-walk snack would be protein and fruit (e.g., a cheese stick and grapes or an apple with nut butter).”
Last but not least, the dietitians highlight the importance of sleeping well. Doing so won’t only keep cravings at bay but also boost your mood and energy—and thus your motivation to walk your way to weight loss and better health.