Walking is a wonderful way to lose weight. I lost 4 kilograms in 1 month through walking, and the best thing is that the weight does not come back, as happens after various diets. Besides the fact that walking is one of the most simple ways lose weight, it also improves your body’s health. This article on the site is dedicated to walking for weight loss and the benefits of walking for the body. I will also describe in detail my experience of losing weight with walking. If you want to lose weight and improve your appearance, then walking is best assistant in this case.
The benefits of walking for weight loss for beauty and health
Besides the fact that you will lose weight through regular walking, there are several other positive aspects for your beauty and your health.
1. Walking will help you get rid of cellulite. After all, while walking, all internal metabolic processes of the body are activated. It begins to actively burn fat, and it also burns it from problem areas of cellulite.
2. Clear your face of acne if you have any. Dark circles under the eyes will disappear, and your complexion will also improve. All this is connected with the activation of metabolism in the body, due to which the blood begins to actively nourish the skin cells of the face.
3. Walking reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood, which negatively affects not only our health, but also our appearance.
4. Walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
5. To prevent osteoporosis, doctors recommend walking.
6. In addition to losing excess weight while walking, you will also build up the muscles of your legs and butt.
7. After dieting, if you managed to lose weight, your skin experiences stress and does not always have time to tighten, but when you lose weight by walking, your skin becomes more elastic and problems with sagging skin do not arise.
Key benefits of losing weight by walking:
1. In order to lose weight by walking, you do not need special equipment or a gym membership. You just need to find comfortable clothes and shoes. For running, you need special equipment, but for walking, ordinary comfortable shoes without heels are suitable, and instead of a tracksuit, you can always use jeans.
2. During walking, our body does not leave the ground as during running, therefore, the load on the spine is minimal. Therefore, walking has virtually no contraindications.
3. While walking, all leg muscles work: thigh muscles, calf muscles and even gluteal muscles, except for loss excess weight You will also gain a slim figure.
4. Space for walking great amount, you can change the route every day and enjoy environment. This is, of course, if you live near a park, but if you live in a metropolis, then there is less open space, but you can always find a place for walking, the main thing is to have the desire.
5. The load on the body is not so strong, so walking can be done every day.
6. You can always take your friend or young man, the walk will be more interesting and go faster.
7. While walking to lose weight, you can listen to music and audiobooks using a player or phone.
8. If you use a pedometer, which can be downloaded for free from the Internet and installed on your mobile phone, you will count the number of calories you burned while walking. And then you will think whether the chocolate you ate is worth an hour’s walk.
If you are not an athlete and have health problems. If after a 5-minute walk you begin to feel short of breath, then it is advisable to start your walking training for weight loss from the initial level. In just a month you will move up to a higher level. The most important thing is not to jump over your head. If you start with very heavy loads, you will get tired very quickly and give up your activities. Walking to lose weight should be fun.
Level 1 “Beginner”
Total walking time: 25-30 minutes. Alternate between fast and calm walking. 1 minute walk at a fast pace, 1 minute walk at a calm pace. If it’s hard for you, sit on a bench and take a break, just don’t forget to subtract the rest time from the total walking time. Try to practice every day, and within a month you will move to the next level.
If you are not new to sports, if you feel great, then you can immediately choose the average level of walking for weight loss.
Level 2 "Intermediate"
Total walking time: 1 hour. You will need to alternate between fast and calm walking, but the interval between them has increased significantly compared to the initial level. You will need to walk for 15 minutes at a calm pace, this time is called a warm-up, then 30 minutes at a fast pace. And you need to finish the workout with 15 minutes of calm walking. Try to walk at as fast a pace as possible. It is best if you go uphill, then the load will be greater and the muscles of the butt and legs will pump more intensely. If the intermediate level workouts seem easy to you, then you can move on to the professional level.
Level 3 “Professional”
Total walking time: 1-1.5 hours. This level is also based on alternating fast and calm walking. But you need to walk at a fast pace for at least 1 hour. You can break 1 hour into 2 30-minute chunks or walk at a brisk pace for the entire hour. It all depends on your level of preparation and well-being. By walking 1 hour a day at a fast pace for a week, you will lose more than 1 kilogram per week.
If you dream of getting a slim figure, but dieting and sports are not for you, then walking for weight loss is an ideal method for getting rid of extra pounds. You will not only get rid of excess weight, you will also strengthen your health, as well as improve all indicators of your beauty. Walk with pleasure and you will definitely achieve amazing results.
Ordinary walking can become walking for weight loss. To do this, you need to know four rules on how to burn calories by walking. Walking is the most accessible, cheapest form of fitness. But leisurely walks in the summer park will not help those who want to lose weight. Nutritionists have calculated: if a woman weighs 68 kg, then she loses only 100 kcal in 30 minutes of walking. To achieve the weight loss effect, a woman must burn at least 500 kcal per day, excluding proper nutrition. Race walking experts and trainers have figured out how to walk correctly for those who want to lose weight. So, let's listen to their advice.
Rule No. 1 - walk faster
Goal: increase calorie consumption at a time by 15-30%. Walking for weight loss strengthens the heart at high speed. And if the walking is intense (walking is considered intense, during which it is difficult to speak, 3 km per half hour), then such a walk helps. When walking fast, the muscles are more stressed, almost as many calories are burned as when running, but the body does not feel stress.
To move faster, you need to adopt the correct posture: you need to be relaxed and not slouch. Elbows are bent at an angle of 90 degrees. Hands also work, making energetic movements: when lifting, your hands should be at chest level, when lowering, at hip level. The steps should be quick and short, the steps should not be longer. To properly distribute the load on your legs, step on your heel while pushing off with your toes.
To maintain a uniform heartbeat, purchase a sports gadget - a monitor. heart rate who will not allow the young lady to be lazy. The optimal load is considered to be 75% of your capabilities. To determine what heart rate you need to walk with, measure your resting heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Multiply the resulting figure by 0.705.
Rule No. 2 - increase the duration of the walk
Goal: increase calorie consumption by 50-100% in a week. Many people believe that walking for weight loss– these are walks for 30 minutes 3 times a week. But scientists have found that such training is not enough for weight loss. Only walking for an hour every day helps.
For those who are already practicing walking for weight loss 3 times a week, you need to gradually accustom yourself to daily walks. At the same time, you need to increase the duration of the workout to an hour. For those who find this difficult, divide the walk into 15-minute sections. Choose the right shoes: with ankle support and air cushions, which reduces the risk of injury during prolonged and heavy loads.
Rule No. 3 – change the speed
Goal: Increase calorie expenditure by 10-15% at a time. An interval training system will help: replacing energetic movements with faster ones. These intervals should be such that it remains possible to say only a couple of words. This technique allows you to strengthen your heart and increase calorie consumption.
There are two ways to change the intensity of your workout:
1. landscape. You can change the speed around each road sign or benches. For those who exercise at the stadium, you can walk at normal speed on one side and at a higher speed on the other.
2. You can keep track of the time: walk for two minutes at a normal rhythm and one at an intense pace. 
Rule No. 4 – go uphill
Goal: increase calorie expenditure at one time by 50%. Including hills or regular stairs into your usual route allows you to increase the load. This technique also allows you to strengthen the muscles of the legs and buttocks, so the legs work more actively. It is advisable to walk most of the time on hills.
Remember about your posture when moving uphill or up stairs so as not to create additional stress on your lower back and knees. Shorten the length of your steps, take a body position in which top part the body is slightly bent forward.
Traditionally, improving the quality of life is associated with such benefits of civilization as personal or public transport, minimizing time losses associated with everyday worries. But total motorization, in addition to the obvious benefits, brings equally serious negative consequences, which doctors tend to call physical inactivity. Simply put, people began to walk many times less, and a predominantly sedentary lifestyle became the reason why 70% of the population has problems with overweight . In this article we will tell you whether it is possible to lose weight by walking, what loads will be sufficient for effective weight loss, what types of walking should be preferred depending on age and health status.
If you were transported to the distant past, you would be very surprised not to meet overtly fat people there. Heavy physical work and lack of overeating do not contribute to fat deposition. Since time machines have not yet been invented, the same effect can be observed today in many countries with weak economies and low standards of living. On the contrary, high-calorie foods and insufficient physical activity lead to the body's energy balance being disrupted: we take in more calories than we expend, and our body is programmed by evolution in such a way as to “store” these excesses in reserve, and not remove them as waste products.
Get rid of extra calories losing weight by walking is quite possible, but this requires, firstly, regular exercise, and secondly, you need to limit the uncontrolled consumption of high-calorie foods. In other words, you should ensure that you burn off excess calories. Daily requirement in this case, it is calculated using special formulas (for example, Harris-Benedict or Mifflin-San Geor), taking into account a person’s height, weight, age and some other parameters.
You can find out how much you actually consume from food calorie tables. Finding them online is also easy. This information will be enough to calculate how much you need to walk a day to lose weight.
To lose one extra kilogram, you need to burn approximately 7000-8000 kilocalories, with an average daily norm consumption is 2000-3000 kcal.
Is walking good for losing weight?
Many people are convinced that the effectiveness of walking as a means of losing weight is low and is noticeably inferior to exercise in a fitness club or gym. This is partly true, but more intense exercise is not always good for the body. Walking is a natural state For homo sapiens, providing a complex positive effect on a person: strengthening the cardiovascular system, increasing body tone, stimulating metabolism through muscle activity.
Does walking help you lose weight faster than running? You will be surprised by the research results: if running is really more effective in terms of the number of calories burned (550 versus 350 kcal per hour, respectively), then By percentage running is already inferior to lost fat mass (50% versus 65%). However, for older people and those whose weight is much higher than normal, running as a means of losing weight is obviously unacceptable. Walking is, without exaggeration, the most democratic way to lose weight, since it is not contraindicated even for heart patients, people suffering from respiratory, kidney failure and diabetes. Anyone unprepared a person is able to cover 10-20 km in a day.
How much should you walk a day to lose weight?
Before you start walking as a means of losing weight, you should know: the fat burning process starts only after an hour of continuous walking, during which the body uses the resources that were received during food intake. To calculate how much you need to walk a day to lose weight, you should control another important factor: heart rate. It should be within 50-70% of the maximum, calculated using the following simplified formula:
220 – your age – 5 (for women) = maximum heart rate.
If you learn to walk at the right pace, fat burning will occur at the fastest pace. How much you need to walk a day to lose weight depends on your goals: it’s one thing when you need to lose 5-8 kg, and quite another when you need to lose 30 or more. In any case, you should not focus on quick results: to lose 1 kilogram, you will have to walk more than 50-80 km, which, of course, is unrealistic. But if you lose 100 grams every day, walking at least 10 kilometers, then in a month you will get 3 kg, in six months - about 20. And these are already quite tangible results. The main thing is regularity of classes and the understanding that regaining lost pounds is much faster.
If you're satisfied burning 30-50 grams of fat daily, when answering the question of how much walking you need to do to lose weight, you need to take into account that the breakdown of fats will begin after the body uses up all the glycogen accumulated in the liver, and for this will require continuous walking for approximately 60 minutes. And if you intend to walk five kilometers a day, a speed of 5 km/h is not enough to put the body into fat burning mode: you need to increase either the distance or the speed.
How do walking and diet fit together?
Is it possible to observe a positive effect from walking? if significantly exceed daily norm calories consumed from food? The simplest calculations show that no. Even for a relatively minor weight loss, you need at least an hour and a half of exercise, and if you cannot imagine your life without sweets and fatty foods, you will have to spend most of your time walking. In other words, If you don't reduce the calories in your food, you will have to walk from morning to evening. It is doubtful that you are ready for such feats. In other words, if you don't reduce the calories in your food, you will have to walk for a very long time. Diets, according to many experts, are also not a panacea, since you won’t be on a diet forever. Moreover, in 95% of cases you will quickly reach your previous weight levels and even exceed them. Balanced diet- secret of success. Set a goal to stay within a certain daily calorie intake limit. At the same time, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods: it is enough to calculate the weight of portions in such a way as not to go beyond the calculated indicator. At first, to suppress hunger, you can choose foods that are low in calories, but eat large portions. Once your body gets used to it, you can control your caloric intake intuitively, without using scales and tables.
How much do you need to walk to lose weight?
The above calculations do not take into account the fact that you can walk in different ways: using a treadmill, walking up stairs or downhill, the Scandinavian method, walking at a fast pace or at a leisurely pace. Even walking in place can bring the desired effect. Let's consider the energy efficiency of all of the above walking methods.
Walking at a medium pace
The most popular way to burn extra calories, especially for those categories of the population who are not able to engage in other types of physical activity. An hour and a half walk at a speed of about 5 km/h will allow you to spend 100-200 kcal, and this is already a lot. Such walking has practically no contraindications and, in addition to the effect of losing excess weight, allows you to improve the overall tone of the body.
Race walking for weight loss
The race walking technique involves the use of a special algorithm that uses many muscle groups. Each step begins with the heel resting and ends with the body weight transferring to the toe. The leg should be straight at this moment. Active work with arms bent at the elbows is also characteristic feature race walking. You need to move in short and frequent steps at speeds up to 8 km/h. This type of walking, which is more energy-consuming, allows you to burn up to 300-350 kcal.
Effective walking on stairs for weight loss
One of the most effective techniques often used by professional athletes. For people with poor health, such training is contraindicated. Climbing flights of stairs at speed 75 steps per minute, in one hour you can spend up to 500 kcal. In this case, it is necessary to monitor your pulse and alternate ascents with descents - the latter are less tiring and allow you to get a break.
Nordic walking
Unlike walking up stairs, moving with ski poles has virtually no contraindications, but due to the involvement of most muscle groups in the process, it allows you to burn approximately one and a half times more calories than with normal walking ( up to 400 kcal per hour and a half workout). The benefits for losing weight when skiing in winter are comparable to the loads when.
Walking on a treadmill for weight loss
Using a home exercise machine helps those who do not have the opportunity to take walks around the city (in megacities with high content harmful exhaust emissions and the lack of places for proper training, this problem is really relevant).
Wherein burning calories will happen faster if you use several important tips :
- warm up your body before starting classes short warm-up (walking at a speed of 4-5 km/h for 5 minutes);
- It is advisable to change the working rhythm(increase or decrease) every 10-15 minutes;
- if you need to increase the walking intensity, you can simply raise the track 5-10 degrees;
- interval training(two minutes of jogging followed by five minutes of walking) allows you to burn up to an additional 10-20% of calories.
The presence of a digital display makes it easier to control your heart rate, distance traveled and calories burned.
Walking in place for weight loss at home
This option, although the least effective, can also be used when it is not possible to go outside. To burn calories more actively, you need to use arm movements, and even better, raise your knees high. By the way, this method of walking is often used as a warm-up before starting training in many sports.
Such an exotic method of transportation as walking on your knees for weight loss is very common in some Asian countries, but can hardly be recommended as the main means of getting rid of excess calories for many categories of people.
Some important tips on how to walk correctly to lose weight:
- the best time for training is morning when the body, in the presence of prolonged stress, adjusts to a more intense metabolism, which has a positive effect on overall performance and contributes to greater calorie consumption when doing everyday activities;
- If you are not sure whether you can lose weight by walking without warming up, the answer will be yes, but when using intensive methods(walking stairs, race walking) warm-up is a must training process;
- walking route follows choose in places remote from highways and with relatively little pedestrian traffic (parks, squares, strips of embankments of reservoirs, etc.), while it is desirable that the terrain is not perfectly flat;
- any physical activity is accompanied by intensive consumption of water reserves by the body, therefore before walking, be sure to drink 200-400 ml of water.
You can drink while walking!
We hope the information presented will help you get answers to the question of how to lose weight by walking, what loads and for what duration should be used to achieve the best result.
Video about the optimal walking mode for weight loss
As you know, movement is life. And if you constantly lead an active lifestyle, preferring to walk on foot rather than take any transport, then you have the opportunity to get rid of extra pounds, and in general, you can improve your health. Walking is a sport in which there are practically no contraindications.
What are the benefits of walking for weight loss?
Walking can be done at different intensities, so desired result and the benefits of it are determined by each person independently. For example, a leisurely walk before bed will help saturate the body with oxygen, help you unwind, and to some extent distract you from everyday worries.
But, if you take walks every day and make it a rule, then after a certain period of time you can notice an effect that will pleasantly surprise you. The calf, thigh and gluteal muscles will become more toned and elastic. Plus, shortness of breath will disappear and the body will become stronger.
Doctors recommend taking such walks to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, they also help reduce total cholesterol levels in the blood, and in general in a positive way affect the human body.
Walking at an average pace prevents the deposition of salts in joints, strengthens the ligamentous apparatus, and trains the muscular system. While running may have contraindications, a uniform step is recommended for almost everyone without exception.
How to walk to lose weight?
So, walking accompanies the appearance of a slender and fit figure. But how can you do it correctly so that those extra pounds leave “their haunts”? In order for weight to begin to decrease, you need to find time to walk every day, and make it a rule.
I bring to your attention a formula that will help you achieve a slim and healthy body:
Walk for at least forty-five minutes four times a week;
Take an hour of enjoyable walking time three times a week.
Thus, every day you need to walk from forty-five minutes to one hour. If it’s difficult to immediately devote such time to a walk, then you can divide it into two times during the day. Moreover, a calm, imposing step is excluded; you need to walk quite quickly and dynamically.
For example, to lose 100 calories, you need to quickly walk a distance of one kilometer in ten minutes. The walking style can be as if you are walking, as if you are late for a meeting, or use a sporty step.
Race walking is good because it allows you to use a larger number of muscle groups, it also helps keep the body in good shape and strengthens the respiratory system, promoting proper breathing.
I'll consider basic rules of race walking for weight loss:
Steps should be uniform and swift, but without any jerking;
Take frequent and short steps, certainly not leaps and bounds;
Walk without deviation, strictly along an imaginary straight line;
In the process of race walking, not only your legs, but also your arms should be used, and not just dangling, so perform active pendulum-like movements with them.
What does it take to walk?
Of course, be sure to buy comfortable and comfortable shoes. These can be good sneakers or trainers as they have more cushioning than regular shoes or boots. Therefore, you should give up stiletto heels and fashionable platforms, since instead of the desired health, you can end up with problems.
From clothing, it is best to choose a comfortable tracksuit, made of breathable fabric, which will allow air to pass through well, providing the necessary ventilation. In cool weather, you can additionally wear a light jacket and hat.
Another important aspect- this is fresh air. On city streets, where the presence of vehicles prevails, it is better not to take walks. Plan your route as far as possible from polluted highways. For example, a park area is suitable. If this is not possible, then always remember the traffic rules.
It is worth starting walking with a calm step in order to conduct a general warm-up for the body and allow the body to warm up properly. Therefore, leave the fast pace for later, it will come in handy later.
We must remember that the body should not be dehydrated, and for this purpose it is recommended to drink a glass of water before and after a walk, as well as maintain a normal water balance during the walk itself. To do this, you can take a small bottle of plain still water with you and drink it as needed.
While walking you need to watch correct posture, and there is also no need to bend and slouch. The back should be straight, the shoulders should be straightened, but the abdominal muscles should be slightly tense. You need to work with the whole foot, so first you need to place your heel on the ground, and only then transfer the weight to the metatarsal area. Remember to take short steps and constantly swing your arms.
You shouldn't stop suddenly, it's best after fast pace, gradually slow down to a calmer pace, and then stop. This will gradually restore breathing and normalize the heartbeat.
Conclusion
If you take such walks every day, then, undoubtedly, there will be no extra pounds There will be no question - that’s why walking, which effectively affects weight loss. Your body will acquire slender contours, become more toned, graceful and beautiful.
So be slim and healthy!
Tatyana, www.site
Do you want to lose a few extra pounds for the benefit of your entire body? Then you can start walking to lose weight. You will undoubtedly be motivated to do this by the opportunity not only to lose weight, but also to overcome Negative influence physical inactivity. And also go to fresh air– it’s just nice.
Does walking help you lose weight? How long do you need to walk to see results?
Walking definitely helps you lose weight! The main thing is to comply with all the necessary conditions and perform this exercise correctly.
Like many other physical activities, walking allows you to burn fatty acids, but for a noticeable effect you need to walk for at least an hour and at a certain pace. During such “fitness walks,” a person’s metabolism increases, which helps eliminate harmful substances.
If you are new to this activity, then do not chase speed and do not try to quickly move on to more complex types walking (for example, up the stairs). Walk at a slow speed at first so that the body can adapt to these activities and not experience unnecessary stress.
You need to spend a day this exercise 50 minutes or more. This requirement has a scientific basis: first, when physical activity from a certain walking pace, glycogen begins to be burned, and only after 30 minutes – fatty acids (fats become a source of energy and slowly but surely leave the body).
The result will be noticeable depending on the type of walking: when walking sports, walking uphill or on stairs, more calories will be burned, all other things being equal. However, average values can be given. On average, in a month of regular exercise (several times a week, lasting at least an hour each), it is possible to lose 5 kg. This is not the final value, since by adjusting your diet and exercising longer, more often, more intensely, you can lose 8 kg in a month.
Which is better: running or walking for weight loss?
Many people believe that only running can give a positive result when exercising for the purpose of losing weight, and walking is just a pleasant pastime that is of little use. But this erroneous opinion. This can be confirmed by data from an experiment in which two groups of women participated. The first one was jogging, the second one was walking to lose weight. As a result, it turned out that those ladies who were engaged in walking lost even a little more weight than the representatives of the “competing” group. Studies have shown that walking burns fewer calories than running, but most of them come from fat.
Another advantage of walking is that it is suitable for a physically unprepared person, as well as for overweight people. Not everyone can run 10 km, but completing it at a certain pace is possible and safe. Want to make the exercise more challenging? Then walk uphill or on steps - this will only enhance the effectiveness of your exercises.
It must also be remembered that running for people with more than 20 kg of excess weight is unsafe. The result may be problems with the musculoskeletal system. That's why fat people First, it is advisable to take up walking to lose weight while following a diet. After losing weight and acquiring a certain physical fitness, you can start running (optional).
If you still decide that running is better. Read the article: (rules, technique, results).
Walking rules for weight loss, contraindications
The most effective time of day for walking is morning. It is advisable to perform the exercise before breakfast (you can drink a tonic drink, for example, green tea). This time of day was not chosen by chance: in the morning, glycogen reserves are depleted, so fat will begin to be “destroyed” faster. As a result, you will feel effectiveness faster.
Start with 10 minutes a day, and then increase the time, monitoring your well-being. Fans of walking for weight loss devote 2-3 hours a day to this activity. The optimal frequency of classes is 3 times a week.
When walking, you should not be hunched over, lose your pace, stomp your entire foot or shuffle your feet - there will be no result, you will only gain unnecessary problems with the musculoskeletal system. Keep your back straight, your shoulders back, and with each step, step on your heel and roll onto your toes. At the very beginning, remind yourself that this is physical exercise, so you need to take the details of its implementation seriously, and then everything will become a habit.
Clothing should be comfortable, not restrict movement, natural materials(preferably), which will allow the skin to breathe. Choose high-quality sneakers that are comfortable for your feet and have good cushioning - you shouldn’t skimp on your health.
You need to walk in a certain “fat burning zone” - this is the heart rate range of 65-75% of the maximum.
Let's move from theory to calculations. We use the formula:
220 – human age – resting heart rate
The latter should be measured in the morning immediately after waking up. Find the place on your hand where the pulse beat is most distinct to avoid mistakes, and count the number of beats per minute.
For example, you counted 62 beats, your age is 27 years. Then 220 – 27 – 62 = 131. Based on these data, we calculate the upper and lower bounds:
- lower bound: 131 * 0.65 = 85
- upper bound: 131 * 0.75 = 98
Thus, walk to lose weight while keeping your heart rate in this zone (in our particular case, 85-98 beats per minute).
Walking for weight loss also has contraindications:
- congenital heart defects;
- suffered a heart attack or stroke;
- diabetes.
Walking options for weight loss
Walking for weight loss includes several varieties. Let's look at each of them.
Long walk . This is exactly where you should start practicing walking for weight loss. The speed is low, physical effort is minimal (compared to other varieties that will be discussed below). In one hour of this exercise you can get rid of 180-200 kcal. Very often young mothers who want to lose a few kilograms after childbirth start with it. You can walk at a certain pace in a park or asphalt road.
More intense, and all muscle groups are involved. Just as usual, with each step you roll from heel to toe, finally making an effort - a small push. This type involves a special movement of the arms (they are bent at a right angle at the elbow, making vigorous movements back and forth). In the process, you can reach speeds of up to 7 km/h. As a result of doing this, you can burn more than 300 kcal in an hour.
Nordic walking . It cannot be confused with anything, since to perform it you need equipment - special sticks. We take a step with our right foot, pushing off from the ground with a stick in our left hand, and so on.
This variety is especially good for losing weight around the waist and strengthening arm muscles, and these exercises also improve balance and coordination of movements. In an hour of proper exercise, you can lose about 350 kcal (40% more than as a result of regular walking).
Here it is very important to choose the right poles: in addition to the fact that they must be specifically for this type of exercise (and not ski poles), fit comfortably in the hand, have a special strap, you must take a responsible approach to choosing the length.
The length of the poles depends on the person’s preparedness: for people with a slow pace of movement, beginners should use the formula: height * 0.66.
For example, 161 cm * 0.66 = 106 cm - this is the length that a person with a height of 161 cm should choose poles. More trained people can multiply their height by 0.68, and athletes - by 0.70.
Nordic walking for weight loss may seem more difficult than regular walking due to the use of poles. But it is only important to learn how to hold and use them correctly. Then you can appreciate all the benefits of this workout, coupled with the beneficial effects of cardio, training 90% of the muscles of the body and relieving stress. More details in the video:
Walking up the stairs (uphill). This type of exercise is intended for trained people; beginners should not try it right away. It is also important to approach its implementation with great caution for people suffering from various diseases, since the load will be quite serious (compared to other types of walking).
The result of this exercise will be strengthening the muscles of the legs and buttocks, as well as weight loss - in an hour of exercise (ascents and descents at an accelerated pace) you can burn up to 500 kcal.
Good to know! What exercises and diets help you lose weight in your legs: .
Walking in place . Sometimes it is not possible to go outside. In this case, you can work out at home and walk on the spot. The efficiency will be lower than from the varieties described above, but this method should not be neglected. Walking in place with a high hip lift will help burn fat deposits in the hips and abdomen.
if you have treadmill, then you can walk on it . With an average level of training, it is good to perform the following combination of exercises: 2 minutes running + 5 minutes walking (5 approaches). We set the walking speed to 4 km/h.
If you want to increase the load, increase the elevation angle of the track. Thus, at home you can practice walking uphill.
How to “build” walking into your daily life
Walking for weight loss can be combined with walking with friends, on the way to the store, etc. If you need to get to some place located a couple of stops away, you shouldn’t wait for the bus - make a little effort and, leaving home early in comfortable shoes, walk to your destination. This is only good for the body.
Hiking a young mother with a stroller at a certain pace will not only have a beneficial effect on her figure, removing extra centimeters in volume, but will also have a positive effect on the child, since it is good for the baby to be in the fresh air (the active pace of the stroller will not harm him).
If you don't come home with huge heavy bags or aren't wearing high heels, walk up the stairs - don't wait for the elevator.
Results of walking for weight loss: reviews
Marina, 26 years old:“I don't like running. I love walking and swimming much more. Walking not only helps keep all body systems in good shape and gives you energy (especially if you take a contrast shower after exercise), but also helps you lose weight. You just need to not be lazy and walk systematically. Remember that the effect without proper nutrition will be insignificant. If you don’t overeat at night and eat, as you should, balanced food in small portions 5 times a day, then you can really lose 5 kg.”
Elena: 31 years old:“Walking is my main sport in given time. Having tried it once and got the desired result, I don’t want to stop exercising or switch to something else. I started with 30 minutes a day, then increased it to 1.5 hours. Usually it works out 2-3 times a week. Sometimes I practice Scandinavian, but more often I go for long walks. In the first month I lost 3 kg.”
Walking is a great way to lose weight. This method is incredibly convenient and useful. You don’t need to go to the gym and buy special equipment (only poles if you want to do Nordic walking), you don’t need to strain yourself too much, you can do it every day.