Walking for weight loss
Can I lose weight if exercise is my only form of exercise.
Yes/no. It depends (“thanks MyHSN, Ed”). You might be able to lose weight that way, depending on how long and how intensely you walk and what your diet’s like.
A combination of physical activity and cutting calories helps with weight loss more than exercise alone.
Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you’ll burn.
However, balance is important. Overdoing it can increase your risk of soreness, injury and burnout. If you’re new to regular exercise, you may need to start out with short walks or walking at a light intensity, and gradually build up to longer walks or more moderate or vigorous intensity.
Once you’ve lost weight, exercise is even more important. It’s what helps keep the weight off. In fact, studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get regular physical activity.
So keep walking, but make sure you also eat a healthy diet – see linked articles below.
Summary
We have discussed walking for weight loss. It is a useful part of a weight reduction programme. But you will need a dietary push as well.
Other resources
MyHSN has a related articles on how to lose weight and how many calories to eat a day.
These are some dietary myths from the BBC.
