Walking is the easiest exercise to start, needs no equipment and almost anyone can do it. But it's worth knowing what it does for weight loss, so you don't expect what it can't deliver.
What walking does
- Raises your daily burn: 30 minutes of brisk walking burns roughly 100 to 200 kcal, depending on your weight.
- Improves blood sugar: walking right after eating helps control the glucose spike.
- Helps keep weight off: people who keep their weight off for years tend to move every day.
- Improves mood and sleep, which cuts down on eating out of tiredness.
What it doesn't do
It doesn't make up for eating over your budget. One slice of cake can hold the calories of an hour's walk. That's why, in weight loss, what you eat weighs the most, and movement is the partner that helps you stick with it.
How to get more out of it
- Start with 10 minutes and build up slowly.
- Split it up: three 10-minute walks count as much as one 30-minute walk.
- Walk after meals whenever you can.
- Pick up the pace a little: the right pace is one where you can talk but not sing.
Sources
- Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(24):1451-1462.
- Buffey AJ, Herring MP, Langley CK, et al. The acute effects of interrupting prolonged sitting time in adults with standing and light-intensity walking on biomarkers of cardiometabolic health. Sports Medicine. 2022;52(8):1765-1787.
This content is for information only and doesn't replace advice from a doctor or dietitian.
