How long do you have to walk to lose weight?
The scientific community advocates the benefits of walking on weight loss. Indeed, walking allows, in the same way as a large majority of sports , to burn calories.
However, we have all experienced it, we may walk again and again, our weight stagnates, our kilos are present!
The question is, are we walking correctly? If we adopt the right reflexes, the right walking postures? The question is above all to know how long should you walk to lose weight permanently?
We give you advice, sporty and scientific, to help you achieve your weight loss goal.
Walking to lose weight, is it possible?
Dr. Patrick Bacquaert published in 2016 a comprehensive report on the impact of walking on weight. Thus, the result is without appeal: walking allows you to lose weight.
However, certain conditions appear …
According to Dr. Bacquaert, the intensity of the walk, the duration, the type of walk, the calories consumed, impacts the result of the walk. These aspects, which we do not always think about, have a real weight on the scale.
How to do it ?
The principle is simple, if you walk to lose weight, then you will have to walk quickly, in fitness walking. You will then have to walk at around 7 km/h.
Thus, your body will have a heart rate between 60 and 70%. With such frequency, the body draws on these reserves and burns calories.
To be able to burn calories on a hike, you have to be able to keep up. This is one of the success factors.
How many steps per day?
It is complex, for the scientific world, to give a scale of number of steps to take to lose weight. It depends on the metabolism of each, the initial weight, previous physical activity . A published study (1) proves that taking 7,500 steps a day would, on average, be sufficient.
However, for some people, this indicator figure will be too important or not important enough. It is then up to you to define your needs.
How often to walk to lose weight?
The frequency of walking will also depend on your schedule and your initial physical activity. You can, for an optimal impact, calculate the ideal frequency of your activity, using a simulator. By taking into account the type of walk, your weight, your height, you will obtain an estimate of your weight loss, depending on the number of sessions per week.
A method to adopt
Michel Desmurget, French scientist, shows that it is quite possible to lose weight by walking and taking care of your diet.
However, he notes that certain tips allow for more active walking: the more athletic the walking, the more it will have a positive impact on the number of calories burned.
How to find the right stride to walk to lose weight?
The length of your stride is essential: to find the ideal stride nothing beats a try. Your stride does not change, it must be the length you feel comfortable with. Thus, your head must not swing, your thighs must not tug… The stride must be quite fluid, natural.
A good stride: everything in the heel
Beyond the stride, it is the stride that matters. To walk well and burn calories without injury, you need to know certain steps.
When your heel hits the ground, your ankle should be bent at a 45 degree angle. It is then that you will unroll your entire foot. When this foot is fully placed, and only then, you can repeat this movement with the other foot. You will then start by lifting your toes to bring your leg forward.
Bust work
We are talking about the legs, but the bust also matters.
Try to tuck in your belly button as much as possible, aligning your lower back.
At the shoulders, they must be flexible to facilitate swinging of the arms. Your head should be neither raised nor lowered: your chin should remain completely parallel to the ground. Generally, your head will be well placed, if you look straight ahead, 5 or 6 meters away.
How to use and position your arms
The arms are also essential since they are the ones that allow forward propulsion.
Leaving your arms bent at 90 degrees, you must bring your left arm forward at the same time as your right foot. Then, in the same way for the opposite side.
Breathing, a main point
While posture is important, breathing is central to your walking efficiency. Walking to lose weight is above all knowing how to breathe.
The lungs provide oxygen to the muscles, which can burn fat. Without oxygen, the muscles will not be able to convert oxygen into energy.
Therefore, the more intense your effort, the more deeply you will have to breathe to bring oxygen in large quantities.
But how long do you have to walk to lose weight?
As you will have understood, walking allows you to lose weight, if and only if certain conditions are adopted. Thus, in the space of a few weeks, a few months, you will obtain satisfactory results, by making daily and regular efforts.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.