Exercise Basics, Fitness & Exercise, Health, Lifestyle, Weight Loss, Workout Ideas
13 Tips To Make Your Weight Loss By Walking Regime Interesting
Jul
Medically reviewed by Saachi Sethi, Postgraduate Degree in Food and Nutrition
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about a weight loss program schedule?
Well, most of us think about rigorous exercises, crash diets and what not! What we don’t think about is that we may also be able to achieve our ambitious weight loss program by walking.
Yes, a simple but persistent walking schedule can also lead you to lose a good amount of weight [1].
Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind that walking will give you the best results only when you couple it with a well balanced and five to six meal-a-day diet.
In this article, we bring you a few tips that can make your walking routine interesting.
1. Select the right shoes
Select the right shoes for walking always. Imagine going to the gym and lifting the wrong weights. It will have negative effects on your body. That is exactly what happens when you don the wrong pair of shoes while walking.
So to make your walking routine a success, choose the right fit of shoes, which happen to be the only equipment for your exercise [2].
Generally, walking shoes have flexible soles and stiff heel counters to prevent side-to-side motion. Also, your shoes should be lightweight, comfortable and nicely cushioned (in order to prevent injury).
2. Always have a cup full of green tea after walking
In a study conducted by a group of Brazilian scientists, it has actually been found that people who consumed three cups of green tea every day for a week had fewer damage to their body caused by resistance to walking.
This is because green tea has antioxidants that prevent free radical /cell damage – the consequence for any form of exercise you choose to pick up. It has also been found that if people consume green tea during their weight loss regime, they tend to lose more weight in comparison to those who don’t [3]
3. Form an interesting playlist
Having a playlist created and safely stored on your phone or any other handy music player always proves useful during walking. One, it makes the exercise interesting and two; music gives you a kind of motivation to push further and harder.
“Just one more song” is what you think before you end your day’s walking schedule. Music helps in a way that you don’t even notice the hard work you have put into the walk [4]. Select music that has fast beats as this keeps you going fast for a longer time than you would go if you were without that foot-tapping music.
4. Find yourself a walking partner
Having a walking buddy definitely is a motivation and it creates accountability.
A walking partner plays a major role in motivating you for going for your walks regularly and you can easily keep each other engaged and entertained during your workout session.
5. Walk faster to burn more calories
Walk as if you are about to miss your train or flight. Brisk walk maximises the effects of your walking and helps you burn more calories than moderate walking [5].
According to the calculation, if you manage to include 30 minutes of brisk walking on a flat surface every day, you’ll have burned off 1,050 calories by the end of the week.
This type of weight loss, which is neither too less nor too much helps protect against heart diseases. So start including brisk walk in your exercise regime and you will see the difference soon.
However, we would like to mention that people who are suffering from arthritis and other joint issues must indulge in walking only after consulting their physician.
6. Take faster strides towards your fitness goals
Most walkers are confused about this – whether to take longer strides or increasing their walking pace! According to experts, it is always better to increase your walking pace than increasing the length of your strides. This is because increasing the length of your strides can increase the strain on your feet and legs. That’s why we say “Take Faster Strides towards Your Fitness Goals”!
7. Supplement your weight loss by walking regime with a generous intake of water
Drinking a generous amount of water accelerates the burning of calories in your body. When you sweat, your body can lose a great deal of water as it tries to cool itself off.
Just a brisk walk in warm weather, for example, can make you lose a pound of water as your body tries to resume its normal temperature. You need to drink after exercising to replace this water loss [6].
8. Keep changing the terrain you walk on
As they say, it is important to expose your body to changes so that it does not become immune to one type of routine and stops reacting to it. The same thing happens when your body is just exposed to one kind of terrain while walking.
Walking on grass or gravel burns more calories than walking on a track while walking on soft sand increases calorie burning by almost 50 per cent, provided that same pace is maintained.
9. Walk when you get chance
Walking outside the scheduled routine also helps. Leave that car or two-wheeler and walk to the nearest metro station. Ignore the comforts of the elevator and climb your way to reach your destination. And similarly, walk while you are on the phone. These impromptu walks will help you lose more weight.
10. Add high-intensity walks to your routine
Indulge at least 20 minutes of high-intensity walking on 3 non-consecutive days per week. On alternate days, you can take up a moderate intensity workout session for around 30 minutes. This will help you attain your goal weight much faster.
11. Munch on Almonds
Keeping a snack handy while you are walking is an excellent idea. It will provide you the required energy along with keeping you satiated so that you don’t indulge in binge eating after the walk, which is actually going to ruin the efforts that you just put in sweating it out. Furthermore, experts say that almonds can actually help in weight loss.
The good monounsaturated fats in almonds have a positive effect on insulin levels [7]. So keep 5-6 pieces of soaked almonds or 2-3 whole walnuts handy during your walk. Offer some to your walking partner too.
12. Swing Those Arms
Swinging your arms while walking gives you a great workout for your upper body, making you lose 5-10 percent more calories than you would burn otherwise. By swinging your arms to the fullest, you are actually adding another form of workout to your existing one.
13. Follow up your walk with a hearty breakfast
It is extremely important to replenish your body after a workout and there comes the role of a hearty and healthy breakfast. Gorging on a healthy breakfast helps replenish glycogen levels, decrease protein breakdown, increase protein synthesis and the ability to build muscle – a sign of a good and successful workout [8].
Got any more tips on Weight Loss by Walking? Please leave it as a comment below. Talk to a Possible Nutritionist today. The first consultation is on us! Click here to avail the FREE consultation!
FAQs
1.Can I lose weight by walking 30 minutes every day?
Yes, you can lose weight by brisk-walking for 30 minutes.
2.How many km should I walk a day to lose weight?
If you are a beginner, start by walking 2.5 kilometers a day. Indulging in brisk and fast paced walking is even better. Gradually, increasing the distance and intensity will give you results.
3.How to lose weight by walking at home?
One can either buy a treadmill or opt for workout videos based on walking.
I don’t even understand Һow I stopped uρ heге,
howeνеr I thoᥙght tһis submit սsed to be good.
I do not understand who ʏοu’re Ьut definitelʏ you are going to a աell-ҝnown blogger if ʏou
happen to ɑre not aⅼready 😉 Cheers!
Hi! We are glad to know that you liked our article. Following these 13 tips will help you weight-loss. Keep following our blog to know more health information.