How to lose a pound a week just by walking

Losing a pound a week may sound scary, but what if you could achieve this goal just by incorporating walking into your daily routine? According to a 2022 study published in Nutrients, walking at any speed can support healthy weight loss when combined with a caloric deficit. This is fantastic news for those looking to shed a few pounds without intense workout routines or restrictive diets. We talked with Rachel MacPherson, CPTan ACE certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews, who reveals a practical and sustainable approach to losing a pound a week by walking.

“Focus on being consistent with exercise while consuming a diet lower in calories than you eat to keep your weight stable,” MacPherson tells us. “Usually, this means cutting 250 to 500 calories per day. You can do this through a combination of diet and exercise, with the goal of burning a few hundred calories per day through activity.”

Walking offers more than just physical benefits. It’s an opportunity to clear your mind, breathe fresh air, boost your mental health and appreciate the world around you. Once you understand the science behind how walking affects your metabolism and calorie burn, you’ll discover that this seemingly basic activity can be a game changer in your weight loss journey.

Read on for MacPherson’s tips on how to lose a pound a week by walking. And when you’re done, find out How many calories are in an apple?

Walk for 10 to 15 minutes after each meal.

Walking after eating is a simple but effective weight loss strategy. A recent study published in Sports Medicine found that this activity helps digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Taking a brisk walk around the block can add and contribute to your overall daily activity.

“Walk for 10 to 15 minutes after each meal and before bed or upon waking,” says MacPherson. “Walking for short periods several times a day, especially after eating, helps regulate blood sugar and makes it easier to fit enough movement into your day. Adding a lot of activity every day is more effective than doing one or two more intensity exercises high for every day. week.”

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Incorporate walk-runs to boost your calorie burn.

Incorporating short running intervals into your runs can increase intensity and burn calories. It’s a great way to add variety to your routine and challenge your cardiovascular system.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

MacPherson tells us: “Walk-runs are friendly for beginners and effectively burn more calories than walking while helping to support healthy sleep and stress levels. Sleep and stress are crucial factors for weight loss, since you put you in a better mental state to be motivated and make good choices around food and exercise.”

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Wear a weighted vest or weighted backpack while hiking.

Adding resistance, such as a weighted vest or backpack, can increase the intensity of your walk. The added resistance is especially beneficial for building strength and burning more calories without dramatically increasing your training time.

“Use a weighted vest or a bag during your walks to increase the number of calories without adding more time or speed. You will also build muscle, which promotes your metabolism and help prevent muscle loss, which also slows down the metabolism” , explains MacPherson.

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Walk on a slope.

Choose routes that involve hills or use a treadmill with an incline function if possible. Walking uphill engages different muscles and increases the effort required, resulting in a more effective workout. Research indicates that incline walking burns more calories than regular walks.

“Walk on an incline on a treadmill or up hills to burn more calories than walking on a flat surface at the same speed,” suggests MacPherson. “Walking on an incline can also support muscle maintenance during weight loss to keep your metabolism up. It also has a lower impact than running, but burns more calories than flat walking.”

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Add body weight exercises to your walk.

Integrate body weight exercises like lunges, squats, or simple calisthenics into your walk. Doing so targets different muscle groups, turning your walk into a total body workout that burns calories.

To incorporate bodyweight exercises into your walk, MacPherson says, “Stop every few minutes during your walk, or every half mile, if you like, and perform bodyweight exercises like lunges, push-ups , and squats. Strength-based exercises are superior to cardio for weight loss, especially body fat instead of muscle. Combining the two is an excellent and effective strategy for fat loss.”

Adam Meyer