Lazy-girl workout win: why a daily walk beats intense weight training for burning fat and staying slim
New research shows that a simple daily walk can burn fat and help you keep weight off longer than intense strength training. Discover why this low-key habit works so well.
When it comes to weight loss, many of us assume we need to spend hours exhausting ourselves at the gym or take on strength-training weights beyond our limits for it to work. Yet have you noticed that many women who look and feel their best don’t rely on high-intensity workouts? Their secret is often something far more basic: walking. A recent study on weight loss challenges that assumption, finding that compared with strength training, a daily walking habit can be more effective for burning fat and maintaining weight loss over the long term.
- Related reading: Getting in shape starts little by little: 5 expert-recommended lifestyle tips that can help you achieve your ideal figure
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Why can walking help you lose weight?
While strength training can build muscle and raise your basal metabolic rate, the fatigue it brings can make it easy for many women, especially those new to exercise or with busy schedules, to give up halfway through.
Research shows that walking is a low-intensity form of cardio that steadily raises your heart rate without causing the body to produce excessive stress hormones, such as cortisol, as high-intensity exercise can. When cortisol levels are too high, the body is more likely to store fat, particularly around the abdomen. Walking, on the other hand, is a sustainable form of exercise that fits easily into daily life. When you can comfortably walk for 30 minutes each day, your body can use fat more efficiently as fuel rather than simply burning carbohydrates.
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3 Keys to Walking Effectively
A leisurely stroll alone won’t necessarily help you lose weight. For the best results, keep these three points in mind to make every step count.
- Keep up the pace: Walk at a speed where you’re slightly out of breath but can still just manage to talk. This helps ensure you’re in the fat-burning zone.
- Add incline or resistance: On a treadmill, try raising the incline slightly. Outdoors, choose routes with hills and gentle slopes. This can burn about 30% more calories than walking on flat ground.
- Walk after meals: A 15-minute stroll after eating can help stabilize blood sugar levels and effectively reduce the likelihood of fat formation.
Do you enjoy walking to unwind, too? If the pressure to lose weight has been getting to you, try slowing down and taking a walk. You may find the results are more rewarding than you expect.
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