We’ve long heard that exercising our body helps us to be in a well balanced weight.
And not just the weight, it further aids in keeping all the dangerous health conditions at bay.
Health experts believe that an active body is least likely to undergo problems people with sedentary lifestyle generally go through.
And hence, to be in the best of the shapes and leading a healthy life, it is more than a necessary to exercise and keep our body active.
When we talk about keeping our body physically active and going, the least demanding activity that clicks our mind is walking.
Can I lose weight if my only exercise is walking?
Walking is indeed, an activity that not only benefits us in a plethora of ways, but is simple enough to slot in and continue everyday in busy lives.
But something we are often questioned pertaining to walking is about its effects on weight loss.
People tend to be really confused as to whether or not, it actually aids in the shedding of weight.
To eliminate the uncertainty and doubts, we are here with the details you need to know about walking.
Considering the need, we have kept our focus on the contributions it has on weight loss and nothing more.
Have a look:
1) Walking helps you burn calories
We cannot move an inch without energy and needs it for every particular thing we do.
Energy is generated from the calories we feed whereas the amount each one of us needs daily is reliant upon things like gender, weight and age.
Now we all know what it takes to maintain a balanced weight.
You need to rise up the amount of calories you burn from the amount of calories you feed yourself a day.
The more you indulge your body in physical activities, the more you are able to get rid of calories.
But the kind of lifestyle we follow today, we get very little chance and time to keep up with the physical activities every day.
This adds to your weight and so does your likelihood of encountering the consequences of excessive weight.
However, when you walk, you allow your body to burn additional level of calories you would have saved during inactivity.
Experts suggest that your body torches an estimation of 100 calories when you make it move for a mile.
Now it is often questioned whether running leads to more efficient burning of fats or a quick walk.
While both the forms of walking are equally encouraging and advisable, running provokes a slight more eradication of fats than walking quickly.
So it can be said that the intensity counts, if not significantly, then trivially.
2) Walking helps with a flat stomach
It isn’t uncommon to witness people with abdominal obesity which is not just a threat itself, but an alarming condition for the complications coming ahead too.
Basically, excessive belly fats put you on the verge of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes; which are understandably, fatal at some point.
However, following aerobic exercise like walking on a regular basis can help you deal with the condition itself, quite efficiently.
Now this is not just an assumption but a benefit that is validated by proper findings and investigations.
For example, a study was conducted on some women categorized as overweight.
The sample was asked to walk for around an hour or so, thrice every week, for a period of three months.
Post the period, it was noticed that the participants were able to bring down 1.5% of their BFP while shrink down their waist by 2.8cm.
Surprisingly, many similar studies ended up with positive results too.
3) Walking keeps weight gain at bay
It isn’t uncommon to witness the ‘hard lost’ weight coming back again.
While this is completely frustrating, it is a sign for you to carry on with your efforts long.
Maintaining weight is easier, for you and your body have already become familiar with the changes you once made for losing weight.
Experts suggest that essential dietary changes along with regular exercising can help you go a long way in keeping the scales stagnant.
But if you are not much into exercises or fear committing to the long and demanding hours of gym, you can simply walk.
Walking keeps your body going, which is how your body is able to burn up more calories for energy.
Secondly and more importantly, it supports muscle building similar to all the exercises we do.
And when you have more muscle tissues, you are able to burn extra amount of calories regardless of your body working or at rest.
A study conducted sometimes back revealed that people who continue with their exercises find it easy sticking to a healthy weight.
On the contrary, people who resume to their old lifestyle habits that do not involve exercises have more chances of getting back to the point they started.
TO SUM UP
If you are about to embark on your weight loss journey and aim to slot in some walking in your regime, then the recommended walking period for you is 150 minutes/ week.
On the other hand, if you are done with slimming and are looking forward to hold your weight up, add additional 50 minutes to the amount!
After all, this is the simplest and the most convenient activity you can do for yourself.