why we believe walking is best for fat loss

We love walking for fat loss, if there were only one activity we could perform besides strength training to assist in fat loss, it would be walking. And yes this would mean dropping activities such as traditional cardio. It is important to note that there are no types of exercise that will lead to fat loss on their own, the primary driver of any fat loss will always be a calorie deficit.

We always emphasize how activities such as walking for fat loss or traditional methods such as cardio can assist in fat loss however they are not directly responsible for fat loss. They can assist in fat loss because they can help us create a calorie deficit, however, our nutrition will always have the biggest impact on this.

It is also important to understand that to increase overall cardiovascular health and improve cardiovascular fitness and performance, higher-intensity exercise such as traditional cardio is required. This article will mostly discuss how to use walking for fat loss and how it can assist in fat loss.

what are the benefits of walking for fat loss

There are many benefits to using walking for fat loss. We find that people who increase their energy expenditure by building the habit of walking into their fitness lifestyle and everyday activity can lose body fat more easily whilst consuming more calories and also maintain good levels of leanness when they have finished a fat loss phase.

walking is low stress and low impact

Because walking is a fairly low intensity activity it places little stress on the body. As long as an individual has no disabilities, everyone can walk no matter what their current level of health or fitness is. Overweight or even obese individuals can also start to increase their physical activity and burn calories by simply walking more, and this is often the best place to start for them. For these individuals weight loss is a priority and those with a higher body weight will also burn more calories when walking.

walking can be easily performed as a part of our daily activity

One of the biggest advantages of walking is that it can easily become part of our daily activity. By making a conscious decision to walk more most people can accumulate a significant amount of steps throughout their day without even having to think about it.

walking is sustainable

Walking is sustainable and is one of the easiest habits to build, and it can often be the best one to start with when looking to build a healthy lifestyle. Most people find they enjoy walking, much more than higher intensity activities such as traditional cardio, resulting in greater adherence and therefore results over time.

walking can burn a significant amount of calories

Although walking for fat loss will burn fewer calories over a set time compared to more intense activities, the amount of calories you can burn is not insignificant. A brisk walk of 45-60 mins can burn a decent amount of calories which can help you remain in a calorie deficit whilst consuming more calories. This is always a much better place to be than dieting on fewer calories. Adding on top of that your steps from the rest of your daily activity will assist greatly in fat loss over time.

walking will not interfere with strength training

Many people interested in fat loss will also have body composition goals as well, meaning they are looking to build muscle and reduce body fat rather than simply losing weight on the scale. This is why strength training is a priority in a fat loss phase. In a calorie deficit recovery from more intense activities such as strength training will be impacted to a degree as well as performance. We can only perform so much high quality work over the week, especially when consuming fewer calories and nutrients. Walking for fat loss will not interfere with our strength training.

This is why bodybuilders will typically choose lower intensity activities, and will often use walking for fat loss, rather than performing higher intensity cardio. Walking will not interfere with their recovery and impact their strength training performance in the gym, and is probably more muscle sparing compared to higher intensity cardio.

walking does not increase appetite

Another underrated advantage of walking for fat loss is that it will not increase appetite as is often the case when performing higher intensity cardio activities. This is especially true in a calorie deficit, where some degree of hunger will already be present. We find with ourselves as well as our clients that when hungry, going for a walk can even decrease appetite somewhat, or at least take your mind off wanting to eat.

how to use walking for fat loss

Now we know some of the benefits of walking for fat loss, how do we best build walking into a daily habit and fit it into our busy modern lives?

Walk first thing in the morning

Getting a walk in first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day and can help you get in a significant amount of your daily step target before you have even started your day. This is a great habit to build, especially if you are busy and may be limited for time the rest of the day. You can perform this fasted before breakfast or after breakfast. Even a short 20 min walk is better than nothing.

walk after meals

One simple method for increasing your daily step count is to simply walk for 10 minutes after each meal. Simply walk 5 minutes away from your current location then walk 5 mins back. This can also be great for digestion and can also improve insulin sensitivity after a meal. Performing this 3 to 4 times per day can add up to a significant amount of minutes walking throughout the day.

schedule longer walks when you can

Planning longer walks of one hour or more can make a big difference to your average weekly step count. We recommend 8-12 thousand steps per day on average or even up to 15 thousand if possible in a fat loss phase. Taking longer walks when you have more time, such as at weekends, can help you hit an average daily step count even when some of your daily step counts may be lower.

multi-tasking

Another benefit of walking for fat loss is that you can perform other tasks at the same time. Need to take a call, or even be on a video call for work? You can do this while walking. This can even be done if you are inside, you can still walk even if this means walking in a circle in your living room, kitchen, or office. It all adds up!

Ditch the car

Of course, one simple strategy to increase your daily step count is to walk instead of drive when the location you want to visit is within walking distance.

methods to increase intensity

The benefits of walking for fat loss come from its relatively low intensity, however, we can still increase the intensity to some degree, and therefore increase calorie burn.

increase your pace

The most obvious way to increase our walking intensity is to increase our pace. There is a significant difference between taking a leisurely walk, and consciously increasing our walking speed to a brisk walk and holding that pace for a period of time. You can start by alternating between a faster pace and a slower pace, gradually spending less time at a slower pace, over time.

use hills

Using hills is one of the simplest ways to increase the intensity of your walking. Planning routes with more hills is an easy way to increase your heart rate and burn more calories. Even one or two larger hills on your route can work. Of course, you can always use the same hill and walk up and down a few times, making it easy to quantify your work and add more summits when you need to.

use uneven surfaces

Walking on more uneven and natural surfaces will increase the intensity of your walking and therefore the amount of calories you are burning to a degree. The obvious example of this is how different walking on sand is compared to a harder surface. Of course, most of us are not lucky enough to live near a sandy beach, however, walking on forest trails, in wooded areas, on fields, and on rough ground in general will increase intensity. The bottom line, just get out in the wild if you can!

add weight

Adding weight is another viable option to increase the intensity of your walking. We would not recommend going to extremes for most individuals, however, adding some weight to a backpack or wearing a weight vest can work well. We would usually recommend increasing your pace as well as using more hills and tougher terrain first, however, this may not always be possible.

Incline treadmill walking

Depending on where you live, walking outside may not be an option at certain parts of the year. However, we can still use walking for fat loss. Performing incline treadmill walking can be a good option in this situation, and is a practice widely used by bodybuilders and other physique athletes.

walking vs running for fat loss

Although walking an equal distance versus running will burn fewer calories, the amount of calories you can burn is not drastically different depending on the intensity you walk at. Most people do not run every day, therefore, the amount of calories you burn throughout the week walking 1 hour per day for example, may be similar or even greater than running for 30 minutes 2-3 times per week. This combined with the benefits mentioned previously can make walking a better option for many people.

are there any cons to walking for fat loss?

The only real disadvantage of walking for fat loss is that it will require more time, which can be problematic for some people. Adding more walking into our everyday life can negate this problem somewhat, however, some individuals with sedentary jobs may still struggle to get 8-12 thousand steps in per day and some longer walks will likely need to be scheduled into their days.

One possible solution to this is to perform some very light jogging within our scheduled longer walk. Simply break into a light jog for 30-60 seconds at various intervals throughout your walk. This should remain very low intensity and as soon as you are starting to breathe heavily you should break back into a walk. You should still spend the majority of your time walking.

Although your heart rate will be spiking somewhat throughout your walk your average intensity will still be zone 1, the intensity which we are looking for. This allows us to cover a set distance a little quicker and can save us some time. Good times to perform your light jogs are on flatter and easier terrain as well as slight declines.

other benefits of walking

The great thing about walking for fat loss is that there are other benefits besides assisting with fat loss. And some of these will likely assist in fat loss indirectly.

sunlight and circadian rhythm

This is a big one and is often overlooked and underrated in our opinion. Getting adequate natural light exposure throughout the day, and especially first thing in the morning will help regulate our circadian rhythm, and can therefore help us sleep better. A good night’s sleep starts with what we do first thing in the morning. Exposure to sunlight first thing in the morning will also help wake us up naturally without having to rely on things such as caffeine as much. Getting good quality restful sleep is important to maximize the results we get in a fat loss phase.

general health

Although walking is low intensity it is still a great aerobic exercise, and we are still getting important cardiovascular health benefits. Brisk walking at zone 1 is the healthy heart zone. Walking is also one of the simplest ways to maintain our mobility particularly as we age, and can even help with our lymphatic health. This is because our lymphatic system requires movement to function at its best, allowing for processes such as detoxification.

mental health

Many people report improved mental health when they include more walking into their daily lives. Getting outside, especially in nature, getting more sunlight, and being able to clear our heads and think over problems can all benefit our mental health and reduce stress. Some studies have shown that regular walkers report better mood and are generally happier.

walking meditation

Many people use walking as a meditation practice. We often do this unintentionally, and many successful people from the past and present report receiving some of their best insights and business ideas when they are walking. Many successful entrepreneurs have a daily walking routine.

personal development

Walking is a great time to listen to audiobooks and podcasts for self-improvement and is something we highly recommend. Learning new information, particularly on the area you may be focusing on at present, can also be highly motivating. Such as fitness and nutrition for example.

Conclusion

Adding more walking into your day is a great idea in general, and can be particularly useful in a fat loss phase. We recommend you build this habit into your lifestyle making it a part of your everyday life whether you are in a fat loss phase or not. With this habit already built, future fat loss phases will be much easier. We recommend aiming for 8-12 thousand steps per day or up to 15 thousand in a fat loss phase if needed. Include walking in the way that is most aligned with your current lifestyle, and allows for sustainability and adherence in the long term.