Why a Brisk Walk Is a Really Great Workout?

All exercises are good, but when talking specifically for weight loss, it’s really hard to beat Brisk Walking. This activity will melt away the pounds, tone your flabby bits and leave you on an emotional high. It is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories and get fit without restricting your diet or enrolling into any fitness club.

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh recently revealed that overweight people who walked briskly for around 30-60 mins a day lost weight even without much change in their other lifestyle habits.

Not only this, another American study highlighted that people who walked for at least 4 hours a week gained approximately 9 pounds lesser weight in comparison to other couch potatoes as they get older.

Benefits of Brisk Walking

Some of the major benefits of including this activity in your daily workout regime are highlighted as under:-

It works even when you’re at rest

High-intensity workouts like brisk walking stimulates effective “after-burn” in comparison to low-intensity workouts. Even if you compare brisk walking with other exercises, it has been highlighted that by certain studies that it (brisk walking) will lead to greater weight loss, most likely because your resting energy expenditure stays elevated even after you are done.

Not only this, certain comparison studies have shown that brisk walking leads to 90% more calorie burnout in comparions to the calories burned through weight lifting!

Keeps you dedicated towards your goals

The simple rule of exercising is that if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it. It has been highlighted by certain studies that brisk walking can actually get you high.

There is a clear linkage between moderate to intense exercise and morphine-like brain chemicals called endocannabinoids, which suggest endorphins alone aren’t responsible for the occasional flood of euphoria that rushes over you during a hard run. That happy sensation you had after your last race makes you want to go for another, right?

Time-efficient and convenient

You can do it alone. You can do it almost anywhere. You don’t need any equipment beyond a pair of running shoes. These are some of the reasons, brisk walking is the best workout for weight loss – it’s cheap, it’s accessible, and there are fewer barriers to block your workout regime!

How Long Should You Walk Each Day to Lose Weight?

On an average basis, an individual should walk at least 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) in a day to stay healthy and about 16,000 steps to lose weight. Normally a person walks about 4500 steps daily for his regular chores. It is suggested to increase your walk timing by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. If you follow this workout plan religiously, in just 3 months the results will speak for themselves.

Types of Walking

If you are bored of your daily walking schedules or patterns, how about experimenting with some new ways of walking:-

Nordic walking

This type of walking uses ski-like poles. John Pocari, a professor from the University of Wisconsin, studied the benefits of walking with ski-like poles forces people to pick up their pace and work harder without realizing it.

Mall walking

Also known as “mallercise” in U.S., this type of walking was derived by the doctors who encouraged cardiac patients to incorporate indoor walking in shopping malls to hasten their rehab.

Treadmills

Treadmills are softer and have easier terrain, which makes them a good choice for walking as they are less strenuous than the hard road. It is really suitable for people with terrain and back problems. For better results set them on a slightly incline level.

Thus, it is clear that brisk walking is an effective way to lose weight and you must include it in your daily routine to see quick results of your efforts!