Can You Lose Weight By Walking An Hour A Day?

Walking is a safe, efficient and comfortable fitness regimen for all age groups, especially for those who don’t have time or energy for an intense workout. It is one of the basic exercises to help you lose weight quickly at home without needing any advanced equipment or breaking a sweat at the gym. A habit of walking daily for an hour offers many health benefits, including a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Let us explore walking as a weight loss exercise in detail.

How Can Walking Help You Lose Weight?

Walking for an hour helps you burn the extra calories and maintain a healthy weight. However, the number of calories you burn per hour while walking depends on various factors such as your age, weight, speed, diet, terrain, metabolism and more!
A simple rule to follow while walking is that your pace determines the number of calories you burn directly. One study suggests that six months of brisk walking daily can result in a 10% weight reduction for women with moderate BMI.
Another study observed that obese women who walked for an hour or more three days a week for 12 weeks while aiming to burn 400kcal per session achieved a significant reduction in abdominal fat and insulin resistance. Now let us find the number of calories you can burn by walking daily.

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How Many Calories Can You Burn By Walking An Hour A Day?

Walking for an hour per day can help boost your metabolism and burn more calories than before. A recent study recommends increasing the daily step count to 10,000 to promote weight loss.
Adding intervals to your walking exercise stimulates your body to burn calories even at rest. Brisk walking for 30 to 60 seconds after every 3 to 5 minutes will help torch more calories. Try walking uphill to increase your average calorie burned.
You can include resistance exercises like pushups, burpees, squats and lunges in your walking regimen to optimise your weight loss results, burn extra calories and build lean muscle.
To consistently lose weight or maintain your fitness levels, you need to either reduce your calorie intake every day or increase your daily calorie burn by increasing the duration, speed or incline of walking. A calorie deficit of 500 calories per day will help you lose approximately 0.2 to 0.9 kilos weight in a week, which is easily achievable with an hour of walking.
However, it is advisable to seek the expert advice of weight loss professionals to set realistic and sustainable weight loss goals.
Read on to learn the correct walking technique to enjoy the best weight loss results.

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Tips To Get The Best Weight Loss Results By Walking

To ensure a safe walking session and lose weight, follow these easy tips:

• Make sure you wear sturdy shoes with good arch support
• Wear loose and comfortable clothes
• Stay hydrated before and after your walk
• Look ahead while walking to increase your pace and stride
• Tighten your core muscles intermittently while walking to build strength and endurance
• Go for a morning and evening walk if you cannot spare one hour for exercising continuously
• You can burn more calories by brisk walking than by strolling
• You can increase the intensity of your exercise by choosing an uphill route
• Walk with your partner to keep each other motivated
• Listen to music for entertainment while doing the rounds of your neighbourhood park
• Use a fitness tracker to keep a tab on your daily step count and increase it each day to attain your fitness goals

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Conclusion

The above tips will ensure you enjoy a safe and enjoyable walking session to lose weight without injuries. Walking is an excellent exercise that suits people of all ages and fitness levels. Pregnant women, elderly people and patients recovering from surgeries and injuries can safely walk their way to good health.
Walking is a refreshing exercise that improves your overall health and well being. However, a comprehensive approach to incorporate dietary changes and a regular walking routine is a must to achieve the best weight loss results.