Now, don’t get me wrong! I have been a member of this club. Total respect for it. Walking is an excellent form of exercise BUT ONLY for people who have health issues or old aged or frail.
But if you are looking to lose weight then
Honey, you have got to do more than walking in the colony park!
Reasons why your walking sessions aren’t producing desired results
Firstly, let’s talk about why walking even qualifies as a workout.
Abundant Benefits of Good ol’ Morning Walk.
It is a cardio or aerobic exercise which works your large muscles over and over and pushes your heart and lungs to work hard. Over time, this makes your heart stronger. Lowering your resting heart rate and blood pressure. Walking improves Mental Health, improves your mood and clears your mind. If you are a new Mom or recovering from an injury or any health issues, this is the perfect workout form for you.
And what is the best part here – It’s free!
All you need is a good pair of walking shoes.
All Good here – Right?
But Why Isn’t Your Walk Helping You Lose Weight?
Most of us choose walking for the benefit of weight loss (and we hate going to the gym). And when it doesn’t produce the results we fall back into the well of depression thinking we can never lose weight.
Science shows that for a calorie-burning cardio workout, you should walk fast enough that you are in the exercise zone at 60 to 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate. You should be breathing harder than usual.
Walk is a low-intensity workout which doesn’t elevate your heart rate. Walking at 3 to 4 miles per hour can provide only a moderate-intensity workout. Not a vigorous-intensity workout that you’re looking for.
As per the Department of Health and Human Services, you must spend at least 75 minutes exercising at a strenuous intensity or 150 minutes exercising at moderate intensity each week. You can meet these exercise totals much faster with vigorous-intensity exercise. With 15 minutes of potent exercise five days a week.
Walking at 3.5 mph for one hour can burn about 298 calories for a 155-pound person, according to Harvard Health Publications. At this rate, 30 minutes of walking each day would burn only about 1,043 calories a week, enough to lose one-third of a pound. Which is so frustratingly slow. If your goal is weight loss, 1 to 2 pounds per week is a realistic and satisfying rate to slim down.
For that, you would have to burn 500-1000 more calories than you consume in a day. To see this outcome, you’d have to triple your walking time to reach that goal.
I mean one can do it but is it realistic, though?
A Myth
For years and years, we have been told that walking helps women with Osteoporosis. Which made hordes of women strap on their shoes and venture out to the colony parks for a leisurely stroll.
What does the research say about this?
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it’s Brisk Walking( 100 steps per minute) Or Jogging which helps in muscle building and maintaining our bone density.
To wrap up
We all like faster results. If your health agrees with you then do opt for a High-Intensity workout for happier outcomes.
When are you giving your fitness a serious thought?
