RSS Subscribe Search

$ News Space & Physics Health Planet Earth Strange News Animals History Forums More %

TRENDING Pregnancy tips Roe v. Wade COVID-19 Fitness Extraterrestrial life

Live Science is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s why you can trust us

Home > References

LIVE SCIENCE NEWSLETTER

Can you lose weight by walking? Stay up to date on the latest science news
By Maddy Biddulph published about 19 hours ago by signing up for our Essentials newsletter.

Can you lose weight by walking? We !nd out if pounding the Your Email Address

pavement is enough of a workout to help you shift those stubborn Contact me with news and o!ers from other
kilos Future brands

Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted

! " partners or sponsors

SIGN ME UP

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &

Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

MOST READ MOST SHARED

1 8-armed Jurassic 'vampire'

used supersuckers to trap
prey, amazing 3D images
reveal

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2 Lost fossil 'treasure trove'
rediscovered after 70 years

Can you lose weight by walking? All physical activity, including walking, burns fat
3 China says it may have
received signals from aliens
and this can help you lose weight. And the more and faster you walk, the more
calories you’ll torch. Whether you’re pounding the pavement or striding it out on
one of the best walking treadmills, walking is a wonderful workout when it
comes to weight loss. 
4 What is reiki and does it
work?

Walking, particularly outdoors, has so many physical and mental health bene"ts.
A study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology found that doing 7,500 steps a 5 4 hostile alien civilizations
may lurk in the Milky Way, a
day (3,000 at a brisk pace) could be enough to prevent type 2 diabetes. And
new study suggests
further research in Fronteirs in Psychology found that exposure to natural
environments and green spaces has been associated with lower levels of stress
and depression.
& HOW IT WORKS MAGAZINE
“Walking, especially in nature, uses just enough brain power that you actually
switch o!, which is why you can often walk somewhere and not think about ● ● ●
anything, almost forcing mental relaxation,” says personal trainer Rachael
Sacerdoti, founder of It’s So Simple. 

“This makes it the perfect Low Impact Steady State (LISS) exercise and ideal for
everyone – walking for a long period causes less damage to the body, soothing
the parasympathetic nervous system without overstressing it.”
The ultimate action-packed science
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU... and technology magazine bursting
with exciting information about the
universe
Sanctions For Russian Space Program
President Biden announced sanctions on Russia that will degrade their aeros…
From $3.99

VIEW DEAL

PLAY SOUND

For safe and sustainable weight loss, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention recommends people lose one to two pounds a week. Read on to "nd
out how much walking you need to do to achieve your weight loss goals.

Related: Best exercise machine to lose weight

CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT BY WALKING?

Man walking up mountainside

(Image credit: Getty)

“Walking is one of the best methods for losing weight, as it is low impact
meaning there is less stress on the joints and therefore lower risk of injury,” says
Lily Chapman nutritionist for P3RFORM.

“The amount of calories you burn will depend on your personal stats such as
your height, body weight, body fat percentage, and how briskly you walk. As a
general rule, you will burn more calories if your heart rate is higher, and
someone who is less "t will generally have a higher heart rate and therefore
burn more calories. 

“Because walking is a more comfortable exercise than running or High Intensity

Interval Training (HIIT), many individuals will be more likely to keep up the habit.
In general, you do need to be in a calorie de"cit in order to lose weight. If you
are burning calories by walking, you won’t need to overly restrict your diet, which
means you’re more likely to be successful in losing weight long term.” 

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that ‘moderate walking

enhances the e!ects of an energy-restricted diet on fat mass loss’. Chapman
says: “An energy-restricted diet means the same thing as being in a calorie
de"cit, so this shows that walking could speed up the weight loss process when
in a calorie de"cit.”

HOW MUCH WALKING DO YOU NEED TO DO FOR IT TO BE AN

EFFECTIVE WEIGHT LOSS TOOL?

Woman out walking holding her phone

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A study by the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders

found that in two groups of women who walked 30 minutes a day or 60 minutes
daily, both groups had ‘similar and signi"cant bene"cial changes’ in their health-
related variables (i.e. weight loss). 

“What this shows is that even a short walk each day is enough to make
signi"cant changes to your body fat, blood pressure, and even cholesterol level,”
says Chapman, and Sacerdoti agrees. “Walking is an excellent starter activity,
especially for anyone who has been inactive.”

“To see better results, walking for an extended period of time at a faster pace
than your normal walking rate will help you achieve better weight loss. If a long
walk scares you, start with three 15-minute walks a day,” Sacerdoti goes on to
add. “Frequent short walks can provide bene"ts, too, and if you walk after you
eat, it can help control your blood sugar levels.”

ARE THERE WAYS TO MAKE WALKING MORE EFFECTIVE?

Woman walking on sand dunes

(Image credit: Getty)

The key to losing weight from walking is to walk fast enough or with enough
intensity to burn fat for energy. And the bigger walks you do, the more you burn
stored fat, instead of the sugars your body uses for energy. One way to make
walking more e!ective is to add hills, climbs or do intervals. 

“Whatever you can do to increase the calorie expenditure is good,” says

Sacerdoti. “Uphill walking is excellent for this, be it an incline on a treadmill, or a
brisk walk up a hill – anything that gets your heart rate pumping a little faster will
help you burn more calories. Also, walking at an incline reduces the impact on
legs and joints. 

“Adding in some power walking intervals, 5-10 mins at a time, will also provide a
larger calorie burn. Weighted vests are good as they will make your body work
harder, which means more calories spent, but be sure that weight is evenly
supported so as not to interfere with your posture – posture is very important
for getting the most out of your walk.”

HOW CAN YOU SQUEEZE MORE WALKING INTO YOUR DAY?

Sacerdoti says: “Try getting o! the train or bus a stop earlier, or walking the
entire journey to work if the weather is good. Take the stairs at every
opportunity you can - this is also excellent for your glutes. Meet up with friends
for a stroll in the park and take lunchtime walks. Anything in nature will
immediately boost your mood too, so it’s a win-win!”

As with any exercise, the key to being consistent is "nding something that works
for you. So mix things up with di!erent types of walking workouts – intervals, hill
climbs, short and fast walks, and long ones over di!erent terrains. 

Sacerdoti adds: “As with any exercise, form is important. To get the best out of
your walk, activate your core with your back nice and straight, shoulders square,
and head up. 

“Engage your glutes with each stride, landing on your heels, rolling forward, and
pushing o! with your toes. It’s important to stay hydrated, and most de"nitely
worth investing in a good pair of shoes to help improve posture and avoid injury.
And don’t forget to stretch when you get back from your walk.”

And if walking isn’t really your thing, don’t worry! Our pieces on ‘is running good
for weight loss?’ and ‘are exercise bikes good for weight loss?’ are brilliant if
you’re looking for a suitable alternative to stay "t and healthy. 

Today's best deals on walking shoes

REDUCED PRICE

Merrell Men's
$110
Moab 3 Hiking VIEW DEAL
$82.46
Shoe
See all prices

Skechers Go Walk
$39.99 VIEW DEAL
5

See all prices

REDUCED PRICE

Adidas Terrex Swift

$150
R3 GORE-TEX VIEW DEAL
$89.97
Hiking
See all prices

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Maddy Biddulph

Maddy is a freelance journalist and Level 3 personal trainer specializing in

"tness, health and wellbeing content. She has been a writer and editor for
22 years, and has worked for some of the UK's bestselling newspapers and
women’s magazines, including Marie Claire, The Sunday Times and Women's
Health. Maddy loves HIIT training and can often be found working out while
her two young daughters do matching burpees or star jumps. As a massive
foodie, she loves cooking and trying out new healthy recipes (especially ones
with hidden vegetables so the kids eat them). 

MORE ABOUT... LATEST

Lactose intolerance: Best air purifiers for Secret passageways

causes, symptoms & allergies 2022: Top- used by ancient
treatments # rated purifiers to Andean culture may
help you breathe have been used in
easier... # rituals invol... #

SEE MORE LATEST #

Should you work out every day?

You’ve got the time and the motivation but should you work out every day? Let’s look
at the pros and cons of exercising daily
Livescience

The Secret Behind Babbel: An Expert Explains Why This App

Is the Best for Learning a New Language
Babbel | Sponsored

Why Millennials Are Using Their Phones To Learn A Language

In 3 Weeks?
Babbel | Sponsored Read More

Luxury Villas Prices in Dubai Might Surprise You

Luxury Villas Dubai | Sponsored Search Now

MOST POPULAR

What is a neutral shoe - and who needs them for

running?
By Lily Canter about 22 hours ago

What is non-exercise activity thermogenesis

(NEAT)?
By Harry Bullmore 2 days ago

How body fat is calculated

By Maddy Biddulph 2 days ago

The best and worst foods for teeth

By Louise Bond 2 days ago

Best running shoes for supination

By Harry Bullmore 3 days ago

What is reiki and does it work?

By Sam Hopes 3 days ago

What is the raw food diet?

By Lou Mudge 3 days ago

Best bargain Philips electric toothbrush deals this

month
By Patricia Carswell, Morgan Bailee Boggess McCoy 4 days ago

What causes bleeding gums?

By Louise Bond 4 days ago

Alternate day fasting: what is it and how does it

work?
By Lou Mudge 4 days ago

Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

About Us Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy

Accessibility Statement Topics Advertise with us Web noti"cations

Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.