If you want to stay fit and healthy, it’s important to exercise regularly. This is because being physically fit can reduce your risk of developing health conditions like heart disease or diabetes. In addition to helping you live a longer and healthier life, exercise can help you manage your weight. Walking is a great form of physical activity that’s free, low risk, and accessible to most people. It’s not just good for you - it’s one of the easiest forms of exercise to incorporate into your day-to-day life. Walking regularly may help you burn extra calories, develop lean muscle, and reduce belly fat. Other health benefits are associated with consistent physical activity, too.
Walking for Weight Loss: Burning Calories and Shedding Pounds
Your body needs energy (in the form of calories) for all the complex chemical reactions that allow you to move, breathe, think, and function. Furthermore, being physically active burns more calories, or uses more energy, than being sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle can not only contribute to weight gain, but can also increase your risk for health problems, namely: cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and mortality. Trying to get more exercise by walking more often can help you burn more calories and reduce these risks. Walking burns calories, which may help you lose weight and keep it off. In fact, walking just one mile can burn about 100 calories.
A 2021 study measured the number of calories regular walkers or runners burned after walking 1 mile (1.6 km). Results showed that walkers and runners burned, on average, 107 calories. This number will vary, however, depending on your weight, sex, and ethnicity. Furthermore, the study found that running burned more calories than walking, although the difference was small. This means that both forms of exercise, walking and running, contribute significantly to the number of calories burned and, therefore, weight management. To increase the intensity of your walk and burn even more calories, try walking on routes with hills or slight inclines.
Preserving Muscle Mass: How Walking Helps Maintain Your Metabolism
You often lose some muscle in addition to body fat when you cut calories and lose weight. This can be counterproductive, as muscle is more metabolically active than fat. This means that having more muscle helps you burn more calories each day. Exercise, including walking, can help counter this effect by preserving lean muscle when you lose weight. Preserving lean muscle helps reduce the drop in metabolic rate that often occurs with weight loss, making your results easier to maintain. What’s more, regular exercise can reduce age-related muscle loss, helping you retain more of your muscle strength and function in later years. Walking can help prevent some of the muscle loss that may occur from aging or when cutting calories to lose weight. This helps minimize the drop in metabolic rate that occurs when you lose weight, making the pounds easier to keep off.
Targeting Belly Fat: Walking for a Healthier Waistline
Storing a lot of fat around your midsection (abdominal fat) has been linked to an increased risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease. In fact, men with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches (102 cm) and women with a waist circumference greater than 35 inches (88 cm) are considered to have abdominal obesity, which is considered a health risk. One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic exercise, such as walking. In a 2021 systematic review, researchers found that at least moderate aerobic activity was beneficial for reducing visceral adipose tissue. Additionally, exercising 3 times per week for 12-16 weeks and performing 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity reduced visceral adipose tissue. Another systematic review found that people on a calorie-controlled diet who participated in exercise showed a dose-dependent reduction in visceral fat compared with the controls. Regularly partaking in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise like walking is associated with lower levels of belly fat.
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Boosting Your Mood: The Mental Health Benefits of Walking
Exercise is known to boost your mood. Physical activity has been associated with improved mood, decreased feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety, and increased energy levels. It does this by making your brain more sensitive to the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression and stimulate the release of endorphins, which make you feel happy. This is a great benefit in itself. However, experiencing an improvement in mood when you walk regularly might also make the habit easier to keep up with than if you walk less frequently. What’s more, some studies have found that finding enjoyment in a physical activity can increase the likelihood that you will continue to participate in it. People tend to exercise less if they do not find the exercises they’re doing enjoyable. Walking is an excellent choice because it’s a moderate-intensity exercise. This is likely to motivate you to walk more rather than give up. Regularly taking part in exercise that you enjoy, such as walking, can improve your mood and make you more motivated to keep it up, which in turn supports weight loss.
Maintaining Weight Loss: Walking for Long-Term Success
Many people who try weight loss programs end up gaining all or some of their weight back. Regular exercise plays an important role in helping you maintain weight loss. However, you must continuously engage in physical activity if your goal is to keep off weight that you’ve already lost. In fact, studies have found that people who exercise the most are usually more successful at losing a greater amount of weight, whereas people who exercise the least are more likely to regain weight. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 94% of people who have successfully maintained a loss of at least 30 pounds for 1 year or more report increasing physical activity, mainly by walking. Incorporating more walking into your day can help you increase the amount of exercise you do and contribute to your daily activity goals. Staying active and moving more by walking throughout your day can help maintain weight loss and keep the weight off in the long run.
Setting a Move Goal: A Personalized Approach to Fitness
According to the Centers for Disease Control, it’s recommended to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week to maintain a stable weight. In walking terms, that means walking for around 2.5 hours per week (at least 10 minutes at a time) at a brisk pace. Or, walking just 22 minutes per day also satisfies this recommendation. Doing more exercise than this has additional benefits for your health (and your weight) and reduces your risk for disease even further.
The Move goal on your Apple Watch is designed to promote consistent daily activity by setting a personalised target for active calories burned. For fitness lovers and casual Apple Watch users alike, achieving your Move goal keeps you motivated and reinforces healthy habits. No one could argue that sedentary lifestyles are more common than ever. Your Apple Move goal serves as a personal metric to keep you engaged and accountable for your fitness levels. Apple’s default Move goal is set to 300 active kilocalories per day, which suits the average adult’s lifestyle. Your Move goal should reflect your baseline activity level plus a challenge that’s realistic. The key here is being sustainable and consistent with your goal. There’s no prize for setting a sky-high Move goal and failing to meet it. And don’t forget: your Apple Watch gives you a weekly prompt to update your goal based on your performance.
At its core, the Apple Watch Move goal is a clever tool for managing your energy balance, the relationship between the calories you burn and the calories you consume on a daily basis. Get that balance wrong, and your results will stall. The Apple Move goal focuses primarily on active calories, which refers to the energy you burn through movement, whether that’s gym time, a dog walk in the evening or a mad dash to get your kids ready for school in the morning. It doesn’t include your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your Move goal can help create a daily calorie deficit.
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When you first set up your Apple Watch, it asks you to input some key data: age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. These variables are used to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR, which we spoke about above) and overall energy expenditure. Your Apple Watch uses its accelerometer, heart rate sensor, GPS (if enabled), and motion data to monitor how you move throughout the day. Apple encourages all users to review and adjust their goals weekly based on performance. In fact, you'll get a "Time to update your Move goal?" prompt every seven days.
Practical Tips for Incorporating More Walking into Your Day
There are many ways to increase the amount of walking you do and achieve this target:
- Use a fitness tracker to motivate yourself to move more, see your progress, and set step goals.
- Make a habit of taking a brisk walk on your lunch break and/or after dinner.
- Ask a friend to join you for an evening walk.
- Go for a walk with family and kids.
- Walk your dog every day or join a friend on their dog walks.
- Take a walking meeting with a colleague or take work calls while walking, instead of at your desk.
- Do errands, like going to the grocery store, and any shopping on foot and in person instead of curbside pick-up or online shopping.
- Walk to work. If it’s too far, park your car further away or get off your bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.
- Try picking new and challenging routes to keep your walks interesting.
- Join a walking group.
Every little bit helps, so start small and try to gradually increase the amount you walk daily. Incorporating more walking into your day can help you burn more calories and lose weight.
Tracking Your Progress: Finding the Right Method for You
Getting out for a walk is one of the best steps you can take for your health. It may just be the easiest way to get a cardiovascular workout that boosts your metabolism, burns calories and improves your mood. And while any walking you can squeeze into your day is great, if it is your main form of exercise, having a measurement to track your progress is key for continued growth. As with any exercise, tracking your progress helps you stay motived and see concrete gains in your health and fitness. It allows you to set realistic goals and know when to adjust your workout routine if you aren't seeing the results you desire. Without tracking, there is no way to tell when it's time to increase the intensity or duration of your workout to keep seeing progress. Because of this, a lack of tracking often leads to plateaus in weight loss and performance.
It can be hard to know what exactly you should be tracking if walking is your exercise of choice. Is it best to walk for a certain distance, time or number of steps?
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Benefits of Tracking Minutes Walked
To reap the proven health benefits of walking, it's advised to walk at least 30 minutes at a brisk pace. Tracking walks by time is a very clearcut way to see your physical fitness improve. If you start by committing to walking 5 minutes a day, you may find that a week later it feels easier to get through those 5 minutes, you are walking a further distance, and your body feels physically ready to walk for a longer timeframe! Then you can increase your walking time to 10 minutes a day and slowly build from there. While you are tracking your time spent walking, it is very likely other metrics like your speed, distance and number of steps, will also increase. If walking for 30 minutes is too challenging, start with 10-minute increments, three times a day. Or start with just a 10-15 minute walk and slowly increase your walking time from there until you reach 30 minutes (or more!).
Benefits of Tracking Steps While Walking
Hitting a step goal creates a sense of accomplishment, which can be really motivating, especially if you have a competitive streak. Aiming for a daily step goal is a smart way to keep yourself motivated to squeeze in movement throughout the day, which is often easier for people to adhere to than having to set aside a chunk of time for exercising. And research show it works: Studies have suggested that tracking your steps leads to a more active lifestyle that decreases the development of certain health issues.
However, it’s important to note that the ideal daily-step total is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a common benchmark people aim for, but studies have shown that it’s possible to reap the benefits of walking with less steps than the standard 10,000 a day. In fact, one study found that walking just 4,000 steps a day was enough to reap cardiovascular benefits and reduce the progression of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
That's why it's important to not get caught up in a buzzy number and instead consider your own fitness level and lifestyle and set a step goal that works for you. It's also important to reassess your goal every so often, especially if you are constantly coming up short and it leaves you feeling discouraged. If you set a daily goal of 10,000 steps a day, but consistently fell short at 8,000 steps, lower your step goal so that you feel successful at the end of the day. Once you do this consistently, you can start to exceed your new goal and eventually hit 10,000 steps!
Benefits of Tracking Miles Walked
If you do not have an easy way to track steps or feel motivated by walking a certain distance, tracking miles can be an excellent method of getting your steps in. A five-mile walk equates to about 10,000 steps, which is a great goal for those looking to establish an active, healthy lifestyle. But remember: Any amount of movement is better than nothing!
It can also provide a nice way to unplug while walking. If you know that one loop around the block equals one mile, then five rounds around the block equate to five miles and about 10,000 steps. It can also be an easier goal to hit: No matter how long it takes you (some days you may be slower or faster than others) or how many steps you take (some days you may take longer strides than others), you know without a doubt that you walked a specific distance, which can feel very gratifying.
As with any metric you are tracking, it's important to reassess your distance goal regularly and adjust it to keep seeing progress. Start with one mile. If that’s challenging enough, stick to this distance for a week or two. Then, increase your mileage goal by another half of a mile. Over time, you should notice the distance become easier to complete and you will finish it more quickly, and see your distance walked steadily increase.
Minutes vs. Steps vs. Miles: Which Tracking Method is Best When Walking for Weight Loss?
Setting a daily time goal proves the most successful for those walking to lose weight. This is for two reasons. First, it ensures you are setting aside dedicated time to exercise, versus accumulating steps throughout the day. Having this dedicated time each day to de-stress and focus solely on walking has mental health benefits, too - and our mental health plays a huge role in weight-loss success. Second, by walking for a set time you are easily able to track progress and push yourself further as you get more fit, versus limiting yourself to a certain number of steps or miles.
It’s important to set aside dedicated time for cardiovascular exercise that gets your heart up. Those steps throughout the day are a bonus. While tracking miles is exciting and can give you a clearcut route to walk, if you don’t have the time or energy to hit that distance goal, it can be easier to make excuses to skip your walk.
Therefore, tracking minutes is recommended. It creates a dedicated time where you focus on exercising, and gives you the ability to tailor your speed and distance based on where you are physically and mentally. A 30-minute walk can look different based on where you’re at that day: It can be leisurely and focus on your mental health or it can be packed with intervals that get your heart rate up and burn calories.
All this being said, at the end of the day a successful fitness plan (and the way we track that progress) looks different for everyone! If you feel motivated by the goal of hitting a certain number of steps each day, then that method may prove best for you. Other people are very motivated by mile challenges or like the simplicity of logging a certain number of miles each day or week. So track in the way that feels best for you and motivates you to keep walking consistently.
Maximizing Your Walking Routine: Intensity, Variety, and Additional Exercises
Good Ways to Change Up Your Daily Walk
Variety can be a nice way to change your daily walk and movement up. And it doesn’t have to be anything radically different, just adding some small changes can be a nice change of pace and a way to work your body differently.
- Change the intensity of your walk. You could speed it up and make it the intensity of a brisk walk.
- Do intervals. You can walk faster, then slow it down.
- Walk hills. You can go up and down hills. Side note if your knees bother you going down hills, try walking backward if you feel comfortable
- Add an extra mile. Push yourself a little extra a couple of days a week and go a little further than you usually do.
- If you aren’t already, take your walk outside. The fresh air and nature can be great for the soul. You can even go hiking or try a new trail.
Other Types of Workouts
Movement is just walking and moving around. Exercise gets your muscles burning and maybe your heart rate up.
- Bodyweight exercises. You can do strength training with just your body weight. Think squats, lunges, pushups, arm circles. This is a great option to build your strength and get your muscles working. This is also a great option to do before or after you go on a walk.
- Strength training with weights. This is a great way to build muscle and this doesn’t have to be some hardcore workout. People of all ages can do strength training.
- Yoga. Doing a yoga workout can be a great strength training workout. You just have to make sure you choosing on that is meant for strength training.
There are lots of different ways to exercise. Knowing how to prevent injury and build a strong and healthy body as you age is key.
Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions
Hate to Exercise?
If you hate to exercise, start with small amounts of physical activity that can be helpful.
Inaccurate Calorie Estimates
Broad categories don't take into full account the extent to which you exerted effort and make it very difficult to accurately estimate the calories burned.The estimated calories burned tend to be high. Meaning, you likely burn fewer calories doing the activity than what your app says. When you subtract those inaccurate calorie estimates from your daily calorie allotment, you will end up consuming more calories back than what was burned. This often results in a double whammy - you're not burning as many calories as the app says and you're eating back more calories than you may have burned.
Eating Back Exercise Calories
Subtracting exercise calories from total calories consumed gives the impression that you can eat more. Most adults do not need to eat back their exercise calories because they are doing moderate activities, like walking, biking, swimming, weight-lifting, etc. These activities do not burn enough calories to require a post-workout snack, particularly if weight-loss is the intended goal. The exception to this rule is for athletes who do vigorous workouts for several hours each day. They, of course, require additional calories. So…our recommendation is to track your exercise in some other way to avoid subtracting exercise calories from overall calories consumed.
The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss, it is estimated that exercise plays, at best, a 30% role. The biggest factor in success is changing what you eat and how much.