Walking to Lose Weight? Sorry to Disappoint You

Walking has always been advised as a good way of losing weight. We beg to differ! Walking does have its benefits though. Walking has been associated with cutting risk of heart disease, cancers and diabetes among others. Walking also increases metabolism, which in turn may help reduce weight.

But if you are looking at losing large amount of fat, walking may be of little use. Walking as they say is just "something's better than nothing" when it comes to weight loss. Ask people who have been trying to lose weight walking and find out if they have seen any improvements.

The biggest joke I heard was on radio, when a caller mentioned that she walks whenever she gets a phone call and attributed that to her daily exercise. Come on, walking while speaking on the phone is not even fast enough to be considered as a stroll. Seriously walking has been given way too much importance. People always look for an easy way out, it's human nature! That's one reason why we all work for a job rather than run a business. OK, that's a totally different subject. Let's get back to weight loss.

For losing serious weight, you'll have to work a bit harder, let's say a lot harder. Start by jogging or even walking fast. As always please take advice from your doctor before you start any exercise program. You must be keeping your heart beat high, around 60-70%, of your maximum heart beat rate. That is around 90-110 beats per minute. Ensure that the heart is beating at this rate constantly for 20-30 minutes. This not only ensures you burn more calories; it also makes your heart stronger, blood circulation ensures toxins from your body are released and more muscle is built. Over time, start running fast. Try interval training, weight training and calisthenics. You'll see amazing results.

Some statistics to make our point: A pound of fat equals to 3500 calories. To burn that one pound you'll have to expend 3500 calories more than what you consumed. Note: weight loss is not all about calories in VS calories out. There's lot more to it. But let's consider this for an example. If you currently weight 180 pounds (82 KGs), you'll have to walk 34 miles (55 KMs) at 2 miles per hour (3.2 KMs per hour) to lose 3500 calories. That's way too much effort for too little in return.

Don't get us wrong. Walking is an extremely health activity and we strongly recommend it. Whether you are trying to lose weight or not or whether you already have an exercise routine, brisk walking 20-30 minutes every other day can make significant health benefits. But if you are looking for fast fat loss, you need to try elsewhere.