How much do i have walk to lose weight

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 seems to help with weight loss more than does 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.

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Feb. 06, 2021

  1. Mabire L, et al. The influence of age, sex and body mass index on the effectiveness of brisk walking for obesity management in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2017; doi:10.1123/jpah.2016-0064.
  2. Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. 2nd ed. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2017.
  3. Walking: A step in the right direction. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/walking-step-right-direction. Accessed Oct. 8, 2020.
  4. Hensrud DD, et al., eds. The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet. 2nd ed. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2018.
  5. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines. Accessed Oct. 8, 2020.
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See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Aerobic exercise
  2. Exercise for weight loss: Calories burned in 1 hour
  3. Fitness motivation
  4. Hate to exercise? Try these tips
  5. Vegetable recipes
  6. Strength training basics
  7. Walking for fitness
  8. Weight training

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Looking for an easy-to-start workout regimen that can show results, without having to go to the gym or spend money on equipment?

Try walking.

It might not seem like the most efficient exercise available, but experts on the topic say it can help with weight loss, mental health and more. Even a few thousand steps a day can burn hundreds of calories, and it's easy to add some modifications to your routine to lose weight.

Can walking really help you lose weight?

According to Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, walking "certainly can" help with weight loss.

"It is a low-impact aerobic exercise that allows individuals to expend energy and burn calories, so it can certainly help with weight loss," said Bryant.

Some recommend walking as a form of exercise due to its simplicity and accessibility.

"I am a fan of walking as a form of movement — especially if you're just getting started," said Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian in Atlanta, Georgia. "What's most important is finding a type of activity you like and will do."

If you are using walking as a tool to help lose weight, Bryant recommends walking for at least 45 minutes per day most days of the week.

"The basic recommendations in terms of general health and well being is to just to meet a minimum threshold of about 30 minutes of activity on most days of the week," he said. "If you're desiring to lose weight, you really want to work in the 45 to 60 minute range. The thing to understand is that it doesn't have to be all in one walking session, you can break it up through the course of that day."

Bryant recommends breaking up those walks into two or three large chunks.

"Maybe you go for a 30-minute walk in the morning, and then maybe it's another 15- or 30-minute walk following dinner or during your lunch break," he suggested. "The idea is to try to accumulate, you know, for about 45 minutes to an hour of walking, which tends to correlate best with reasonable weight loss or or better weight control."

How much weight can you lose by walking?

Bryant said it's difficult to guess how much weight one may lose while walking due to the amount of factors involved, but said that people can expect to burn about a hundred calories for every thousand steps they take.

"Generally, the amount of weight one can expect to lose (is) usually going to be a function of how frequently you do it in terms of days per week, as well as the duration that you walk and also the intensity at which you walk," he said.

Samantha Cassetty, a registered dietitian based in New York City, explained that "the average 40-year-old woman who's 5 '4'' and 165 pounds might lose five pounds in two months if she went from inactive to walking for an hour five times a week."

But you can't out-walk a bad diet, Cassetty said. "She would have to make some healthy tweaks to her diet, which result in a slight calorie deficit (around 100 calories a day)."

"Maintaining this workout routine and the healthy eating habits can help keep those five pounds off, but the walking alone isn't likely to result in additional weight loss," Cassetty said.

"Generally speaking, the average healthy adult will likely notice a difference in how they feel by incorporating more movement and sprucing up the diet," said Moore. "You may or may not lose weight with diet and exercise changes though. Whether you lose weight can vary with personal genetics and metabolism, age, overall physical activity level, stress levels and even sleep."

How can you start a walking routine?

Walking is one of the easiest exercise routines to start — just pick a route and get moving! Bryant recommends wearing comfortable footwear, but there's no need to invest in fancy shoes or other gear.

A good speed to start at is walking at a pace of about three miles an hour, or walking one mile in twenty minutes.

If you're looking for a metric to compete with, Bryant recommends trying to work your way up to 10,000 steps, which will help you burn about 1,000 calories.

How can you burn more calories while walking?

If you're looking for a full-body workout, it's possible to amp up your walking routine by changing the terrain.

"Walking uphill or inclining your treadmill increases the intensity and challenge of the walk," Bryant said. "You can also introduce some intervals where you change your walking speed. If you're outside, maybe, you know, walk really briskly from a stop sign to a stop sign and walk at a normal pace until you get to your next stop sign. If you're on a treadmill ... walk comfortably for three minutes and then for the next minute or two, walk you know a half a mile an hour faster."

You can also add weights, though Bryant recommends avoiding hand weights and instead investing in a weighted vest, which can make you push yourself harder without putting stress on the joints.

If you're looking for an equipment-free way to burn more calories, you can try doing something as simple as waving your arms. A study by the American Council on Exercise found that moving the arms vigorously expends more calories.

"It may look a bit odd but but vigorously pumping the arm certainly adds to the intensity of the workout," Bryant said.

What are some other health benefits of walking?

Of course, there are more benefits to walking than just losing weight. Like any other aerobic exercise, walking will help improve the function of your cardiovascular system, will lead to better blood sugar control, and help lower blood pressure.

"Any benefit you can get from other forms of cardio exercise, like cycling, running, swimming, you can derive all those same benefits while walking," Bryant said.

Walking can also have benefits for mental health. Bryant said that the exercise can help relieve and manage stress and anxiety.

"I would tell people ... to really pay attention and focus on how walking makes them feel, because I think that can serve as a great motivator to kind of keep them in the game in terms of continuing to walk," he said.

More ways to supercharge your walk:

  • Step up your fitness game with these 7 walking workouts
  • Is power walking really better than regular walking?
  • 3 meditative walks that will boost your mood and shift your mindset

Can I lose weight by walking 30 minutes everyday?

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.

Can I lose belly fat by walking?

One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic exercise, such as walking ( 19 , 20 ). In one small study, women with obesity who walked for 50–70 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks, on average, reduced their waist circumference and their body fat.

How much should I walk to lose weight chart?

The rough answer: Exercise at moderate intensity for 200-300 minutes per week. What does that look like? Walk 1 hour per day for 4-5 days a week, with a total of about 4.5 hours each week. However, if you want to keep losing weight over time, you'll need to increase that amount as you progress.