Walkingis an excellent form of exercise to help meet weight goals and improve overall health and fitness.
you might benefit from various walking speeds and amounts of time spent walking.
There are lots of ways to create a walking plan that fits your needs.
LPETTET / Getty Images
Exercise like walking increases cardiovascular fitness and burns calories.
Your body has to work and burn calories to move your muscles to perform activities like walking.
The concept ofcaloriesin, calories out is just one part of weight management.
In reality, weight management is a complex system related to hormones and metabolism.
Burning more calories than you take in can help you lose weight in the short term.
However, don’t expect results for weight loss overnight.
In the meantime, you may appreciate the otherbenefits of walking.
BMI is a dated, flawed measure.
It does not take into account factors such asbody composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age.
Start out with slow-paced 10- to 15-minute walks, and gradually increase your walking pace over time.
The overall goal is to get to at least150 minutes per weekwalking at a brisk pace.
It’s OK if it takes you a few weeks to build up to this.
Don’t get discouraged, because any amount of physical activity you do has benefits for your endurance.
If using a treadmill, increase the incline.
If walking outside, consider more varied terrain, such as hiking or walking in hilly areas.
The following chart shows ranges for various ages.
When adding any kind of exercise to your routine, you might notice an increase in appetite.
So when starting exercise routine like walking, you should not be surprised to find yourself hungrier.
Everyone should aim to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, and the more the better.
2022;24(3):e25906.
doi:10.2196/25906
American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Benefits of physical activity.
Cox CE.Role of physical activity for weight loss and weight maintenance.Diabetes Spectr.
2017 Aug;30(3):157-160. doi:10.2337/ds17-0013
Michigan State University Extension.Walking helps prevent chronic disease.
American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.
National Association of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Conditions.Exercise for your bone health.
National Cancer Institute.Physical activity and cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health benefits of physical activity.
doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.5174
American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Tips for getting active.