The average person is sedentary for around 9.5 hours per day, according to the British Heart Foundation. This prolonged amount of inactivity can weaken muscles and bones and affect our body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and metabolise fat – all of which can lead to serious consequences and weight gain. The remedy?
“Most people think they have to jog, run or embark on other high-intensity exercise in order to lose weight,” says Russ Luber, a personal trainer at Every Body Bootcamp. “That isn’t the case, and it’s why I recommend brisk, daily walking for my clients, all of whom are in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Walking doesn’t put strain on muscles, heart or joints, yet you’ll still enjoy all the benefits of cardio exercise. Quite simply, it’s the simplest and best form of exercise you can do.”
Here’s how to walk your way to a healthier, happier – and, yes, slimmer – version of you.
How much should you walk to lose weight?
I’ve tried virtually every type of exercise in an attempt to shift my midlife wobble. Running, swimming, cycling, yoga, fitness classes and even hiring a personal trainer – they’ve all had a spin but I seemed to be getting nowhere. So I decided on a different approach and started walking as much as I possibly could. The results have been life-changing. Over three months, this single tactic has helped me to shift that pesky extra half-stone.
I’m not talking a slow amble to the corner shop, but at least 30 minutes of brisk, purposeful walking every day – aiming for an hour if possible. The key to my success is how easy it’s been to accrue those miles by breaking up my exercise into several short sessions. No time to rack up 10,000 steps in one go? Then I’ll head to an appointment on foot, offer to run an errand for a family member or squeeze in a couple of 20-minute walks before and after work.
It hasn’t been a chore. On the contrary, I have enjoyed it, finding my walks effective at managing my mood fluctuations and work-related stresses. Far better, I’ve discovered, than shouting at my husband or grabbing that bottle of chilled sauvignon at the end of the day.
What is the minimum amount you should walk to lose weight?
“All walking is good walking,” says Rosaria Barreto-Ellis, a sports scientist and the founder of Mature Movers, “but how you approach it is person-dependent. If you’ve been pretty sedentary, start by aiming for a relatively low amount like 3-4,000 steps a day. If you’re more active, figure out your average step count and focus on increasing it as there is always room for improvement. A minimum of 10,000 steps a day is good to aim for.”
The faster, further and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. It’s all down to that magical equation of burning more calories than you consume. So, as walking for one mile (around 2,000 steps) burns 80-100 calories, and there are around 3,500 calories in 1lb of fat, shedding that 1lb means racking up 70,000 steps. It sounds a lot – how will you find time to work, eat and sleep? – until you figure that in hitting 10,000 daily steps over a week, you’ve nailed it. And you could be well on your way to losing 10lbs over 10 weeks.