If you’re thinking about making a daily walking habit a habit, you’re on the right track. Walking fits perfectly into your fitness routine. It requires no equipment, is free, and can be done while taking work calls or reading an audiobook. Plus, it’s a great way to burn calories and gives you the chance to explore new places and trails. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up 10 expert walking tips for beginners to help you lose more weight.
Lace up your sneakers and go for a walk is always a good idea. It’s a great way to increase the amount of physical activity you get without significantly increasing the stress of that exercise.
“Walking is also very flexible compared to other types of exercise,” explains Dominique Angelino, CPT has International Personal Trainers Academy (IPTA)“You can walk almost anywhere: at the gym, outside, or in your apartment. Walking is an activity that you can adapt to the ever-changing demands of your life, unlike many other types of exercise. If something comes up and you don’t have time to go to the gym, you no longer have the option of doing a stair-climbing workout. But you do have the option of doing a brisk walking workout.”
Plus, walking makes your fitness program more sustainable. Because let’s be honest: the harder and more challenging your workouts are, the harder it will be to stick with them.
If you’re ready to get started, let’s dive into 10 of the best walking tips for beginners to lose more weight.
Choose a manageable number of weekly walking sessions.
Make sure your weekly walking goal is easy to maintain. This will depend on the week and your motivation level.
“It can be tempting to plan your walking sessions based on what you might do on a good week, but don’t do that,” Angelino stresses. “Try to set your expectations based on what you might do on a bad week. This helps you consistently meet expectations, which can have a huge impact on your motivation to continue over time. It helps you stick with the exercise longer, which means more overall fat loss.”
Adjust your pace to suit your energy level.
Pay attention to your energy level and adjust your walking pace accordingly.
“You don’t have to commit to a specific walking speed during your workouts. If you find that you have more energy than usual during a workout, it’s okay to walk faster than your intended pace,” Angelino says. “Most people pick a pace and stick to it, no matter how they’re feeling. But increasing your pace when you have more energy can help you… burn more calories and lose more weight overall.”
Wear a weighted backpack or daypack.
Rucking is all the rage right now, and for good reason. People are ditching their usual walks for rucking; they’re strapping on weighted backpacks to get the benefits of a cardio and strength workout all in one.
“Wear a weighted backpack or daypack to burn more calories,” Angelino advises. “You can increase the amount of work your muscles do while you walk by increasing the amount of weight they have to move with each step you take. Normally, this is limited to the weight of your body itself. But you can artificially increase your body weight by loading it with special weighted equipment like a backpack.”
Slowly adjust your walking sessions as you progress.
It’s no secret that regular exercise helps you get in better shape. What you accomplish on day 30, for example, will likely be very different from what you do when you start.
“If you created your workout routine before day one, it may no longer be a good fit for the version of yourself that exists on day 30,” Angelino says. “To account for this, regularly adjust your walking sessions based on what your body is capable of. If you can maintain a faster pace or walk [longer]then update your workout schedule to reflect that.”
This helps you get the best return on your investment in the long term.
Choose a steep or hilly route.
When you feel comfortable, incorporate inclines and hills as much as possible. You’ll burn more calories walking uphill versus on a flat surface.
“Your muscles will have to work a lot harder with every step you take, which means they’ll need a bunch of extra calories to fuel that extra work,” Angelino points out. “This also has a second hidden benefit. It helps your muscles improve their endurance and get a little stronger.”
Don’t forget about pre-workout nutrition.
Having a pre-workout diet is the name of the game. Angelino suggests enjoying a carbohydrate-rich snack before your walk, which can help you melt more fat in the long run.
“This gives your body enough glucose to convert into energy and fuel your workout,” he adds. “This means that you will, on average, be able to walk longer and at a faster pace. This doesn’t mean you need to consume more calories per day than usual; it means you need to shift some of the calories you are ingesting to a different time of day just before your workout.”
Add “mini-walks” to your week.
“Exercise snacks” or mini-walks can help you add even more physical activity to your routine, further enhancing your weight loss efforts.
“Exercise doesn’t have to be limited to a structured workout,” Angelino tells us. “If you make small decisions throughout the week that organically increase the amount of walking you do in your daily life, you’ll lose more fat overall. This only adds to the weight-loss effects of your structured walking sessions. Consider parking your car farther away from store entrances or taking the stairs more often.”
Multitask while walking.
A common excuse for not exercising enough is feeling like you don’t have time to do it. To fix this, kill two birds with one stone. For example, you can exercise while listening to your book club audiobook, talking to loved ones on the phone, taking a work call, or listening to the news.
“While it slows down the speed at which you can complete the task you’re combining with walking, it can save you more time overall since you don’t have to worry about doing each activity individually,” Angelino says. “Multitasking can help you justify longer walking sessions, [directly leading] for greater fat loss.
Combine your walking sessions with other workouts.
Adding a brisk walking session to the beginning of your routine can help increase the total amount of calories you burn through other workouts, such as strength training or weight lifting.
“It helps you burn more calories because you’re getting more exercise, and it’s easy to do since you’re at the gym anyway,” Angelino says. “It also has the side benefit of helping you warm up before your strength training session, which increases the quality of your workout in addition to helping you burn more calories overall.”
Opt for outdoor walks instead of the treadmill.
If possible, go outside for your walks instead of on the treadmill.
“You will burn slightly more calories when you walk normally rather than [walking] on a treadmill,” Angelino says. “That doesn’t mean treadmills are a bad thing, because [it’s] excellent for helping you burn calories. Plus, [treadmills] are quite convenient to use, even when the weather is not so pleasant. But, in general, you will burn a few more calories walking without them.
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