The power of walking is now well known. Studies that certify the numerous benefits that walking – especially at a fast pace – bring to our health are multiplying. The advantage of this physical activity is that anyone can do it. There are no age or weight limits. In fact, if running can have obstacles, for example for those who are very overweight, the same does not happen with walking. Practicing it is very simple: a good pair of sneakers and comfortable clothing are enough. It also does not cause any trauma to the joints, as can happen with other activities. According to some studies, 24 diseases can be helped in prevention thanks to the walk.
What are the benefits of walking?
The main benefits concern the cardiovascular system, with important consequences on the health of our heart and the tone of the blood vessels. Walking regularly helps to lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood and to keep your blood sugar under control. The musculature also benefits from this, especially as regards the glutes and quadriceps.
We know that in order to lose weight you need to pay attention to nutrition. However, following a walking program can be a great help. Walking regularly allows you to burn a lot of calories. In addition, it transforms fat mass into lean mass. Muscles consume more calories than fat, even when we are at rest.
Lose weight while walking: the power of fit walking
The best results are obtained with brisk walking or fit walking. The pace must be between 5 and 6 km per hour. Of course this is the goal. There is no need to go fast immediately if we are not trained enough. Furthermore, our walk also depends on non-modifiable factors such as age and height. A tall person, for example, will have a wider stride than someone who is short.
How to understand at what speed to go?
If you don’t have a device that can tell us how fast we are walking, we can use a simpler method. You can do a very easy test. Just count the steps we can take in 20 seconds. The steps we take with one leg can also be counted. It will then be sufficient to multiply by two. So if we take 20 steps in 20 seconds with the right leg, just multiply by two, obtaining 40.
Generally, if we take 40 steps in 20 seconds, ours is a slow walk, but it begins to give us benefits. 45 to 49 is a training walk, called moderately aerobic. 50 and up is a brisk walk, called aerobics.
Of course, it would be best to start with a walk of at least 45 steps every twenty seconds.
Although walking is a completely natural activity, before you start exercising, especially if you are over 40, or if you are overweight or suffer from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular ones, you need to talk to your doctor. He will advise you if you need to take specific exams before starting to train safely.
Lose weight while walking: the program
The advice is to start walking 3 times a week for between 30 and 45 minutes. Before starting, you should always warm up for about ten minutes and at the end do some stretching to stretch the muscles. As the weeks go by, increase to 5 outings a week.
Warning: the goal of this walk is to be able to reach the goal of 50 steps every 20 seconds. We therefore need to focus more on speed. Only after we have been able to achieve this will we be able to extend our training sessions.
Expert advice
- The first thing to watch out for is there choice of shoes, which must be of good quality. Better that they are not brand new, but that you have already used them in a few walks.
- Me too’foot support is critical. You must first place the heel and then completely “unroll” the foot to give the push with the tips of the toes.
- The position has its importance. The recommended one is with the back straight, the chest open with the shoulders back and the chin parallel to the ground.
- Often it is useful to be encouraged to train involve friends or a neighbor. Making regular appointments helps make training regular.
- If you have a cane, take it with you during training. It will give you a good pace if you let it walk freely and be able to finish your workout almost without noticing.
- If you are lucky enough to live in the countryside or in a city with uphill roads, try to always include them in your journey. You will certainly slow down your pace, but you will train your muscles and the cardiorespiratory system more.
- A good way to push your workout even further is to walk fast for a couple of minutes – at first it will take just one minute – then walk slower for 5 minutes and repeat.
- To tone the upper part of our body as well, experts recommend exaggerating with the movement of the arms. By making large movements with the upper limbs, we will also train the shoulders, biceps and triceps, as well as stimulating the oblique part of the abdominal muscles. Plus, we’ll obviously burn more calories too.
- To keep track of your workouts, it would be useful to have a heart rate monitor. There are now many apps, some even completely free, that can help us. Smartwatches are ideal for this purpose.
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