Walking to lose weight

Any additional activity that increases your heart rate and has enough intensity behind it will help with facilitating weight loss, food intake is the other equation and very important.

Hi Ryan,

walking (or any other form of aerobic activity that you enjoy) is an important part of any weight loss program. Here is what the Mayo Clinic has to say on that subject: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/AN01773

Wishing you well.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com

Hello Ryan. I agree with the above posts in that walking, or any other aerobically-based exercise (e.g. cycling, swimming) can be instrumental in losing weight and reducing body fat. As with any 'program,' the degree with which this program will help in weight loss depends on several factors (some personal, and some programmatic). For example, personal - the individual's current, pre-program fitness level, and programmatic - the 'intensity' of the walking program.

I hope that this helps.

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
larue.cook@lecfitness.com

Everyone should walk if they have the ability. If it's not something you do now, it could really help you burn more calories.

Yes! When things start to get easy, increase your pace, the distance you're traveling or add hills, stairs or change from walking on pavement to a trail to add in a new challenge.

If you've already been walking for a while, try adding some strength training to the mix.

Good luck!
Jocelyn

Hello Ryan,

That depends on if your body needs to drop excess weight. We are made to walk and walking is one of the best things you can do. In assuming you could stand to lose a few pounds, then, yes, absolutely, a walking program will help you lose weight.

Good luck and enjoy every step of your walks.

It depends...If the energy expended exceeds the intake then it will. However, one should look beyond weight loss. As the benefits of Physical acitivity extend far beyond weight loss. Even in absence of weight loss, increasing PA can help reduce fat deposit (especially visceral fat which is associated with CVD and T2D). If the goal is weight loss - I would focus on the food side of things.

JM

Weight loss is more complicated than calories in calories out. Your diet will be the number one thing that leads to healthy weight loss. Eat natural foods with very little if any processing. Avoid sugar and white flour like the poison that it is. If you are completely sedentary then walking will help to a point. Once walking a mile gets easy, don't assume that two miles will give you a new benefit. Exercise should have elements that push you to your edge, because that is where the body begins to change itself. Try sprinting for as long as you can then walk until you catch your breath and cool down a bit, then do it again Throw in some push ups or jumping jacks, move in every way you body can. Walk or run stairs one day then hills another. There are no magic exercises it all boils down to intensity. However long slow cardio (like walking or jogging) will eventually lead to repetitive stress injuries, just ask any long distance runner.

"Can getting on a walking program help me lose weight?"

Hello Ryan! I had a recent client ask me the same thing. For her she had a pretty sedentary lifestyle. She work up at 5am, grabbed "something quick" on the way to work (if she had time). She had a job where she sat all day long, she ordered out lunch 5 days a week, after work she went home and picked up something fro the frozen section of the store before throwing it in the oven and then watching tv with her family before going to bed at 11pm. When we looked at her lifestyle, she needed to do more than join a walking group if she wanted to be successful LONG TERM with her weight loss and fitness goals. Obviously I have no idea what your level of fitness is right now or any other info that I would take into consideration in getting you going. Food intake is HUGE when it comes to weight loss. Eat clean, balanced mini meals 5-6 times a day and drink water ( no soda!), waking will help with your goals if you are doing little exercise now or if you are challenging yourself by increasing speed and/or inclines/ distance in your walking. The key is to control your foods, drink plenty of water and get out and do exercise no matter what it is...but have fun doing it! If you like walking..DO IT! Do some form of exercise no less than 3 days a week if you are capable of dong it (no doctors restrictions- always talk to your doctor before starting any fitness program)

Start at a walk but slowly progress in both time and speed to avoid plateaus.

It's the activity people who have lost weight and kept it off do most often. Check out at weight loss registry - 94%

Of course it can help stud...don't mean it will

walking is the all time safety exercise prescribed when people of size become interested in facilitating a healthier lifestyle...

vary your course, tempo, time walking & supplemental assets used while walking (music, audio book, weight if used)

If you are not gonna do it to elevate your heart rate just go screw around with the grandkids or kids for bout 15 min @ a time. Will be just as good if u find you have to rest to catch your breath quickly.

Can get boring quick & weather based so have an alternative plan waiting...

Yes. Anything you can do that involves moving around (such a walking) will increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories. Walking is great for beginners, overweight people, those who have medical conditions that prevent them from any other type of activity and in general for those who just love to go for a walk outdoors (or even at indoor places such as malls). Controlling the calories you take in is also another good way of making sure walking will be more effective.

Choosing areas where the grade of elevation of the path changes (increases or decreases) and also the choice of the landscape (walking on sand or grass will increase the intensity and help you burn more calories) are factors that influence the amount of calories you will burn during your walk. Also adding extra weight on you (wearing a backpack or carrying a sandbag or even some free weights or kettlebells) will add some extra intensity to your walk and make you burn more calories.

Worked for my mother, so I do recommend it.

Ron
www.motionsoft.net

It has been shown over and over that exercise will improve your fitness, but has only a small effect on weight loss. Weight loss shouldn't really even be your first goal. Fitness should and lifestyle change. Commercial edible products and sedentary routines are the biggest problem with obesity and poor fitness.

One of the things that I teach clients who come to me for weight loss is that they need to start moving more. Then I get them to focus on feeling better and what makes them not feel better. Like how they feel after eating properly or getting some exercise and how they feel after eating processed foods and laying around too much.

Learning to stop living the average American life of working, eating, and watching television is the only hope for large portion of our population.

Walking is great. Not a lot of caloric expenditure/minute but it all adds up. Take plenty of water and have some really good shoes.