See how walking helps lose weight

If your goal is to lose weight, but you still don’t have enough energy to practice a run or want to spend hours in the gym, don’t worry. That’s because walking is also a good exercise for those who want to lose weight and burn fat.

Recommended activity for everyone

More than one aerobic exercise, walking is a great ally in everyday life. That’s because you won’t need almost anything you don’t already have: light clothes, suitable sneakers and a bottle of water. “Also a great option for sedentary people or for those who adopt a lighter pace, but don’t give up exercising. Walking increases the body’s metabolism and generates a high caloric expenditure”, says Dr. William Komatsu, exercise physiologist.

Preparations for the walk

The Doctor. William Komatsu shows that, before putting on light clothes and soft tennis shoes, any beginner needs to undergo a physical and medical assessment in order to confirm whether he is able to perform the activity. After medical clearance, the next step is choosing a place to walk. In the hectic routine of big cities, the gym turns out to be the most practical and safest option. However, exercising outdoors can be much more promising and pleasurable.

outdoor walk

At the gym or even at home, walking on the treadmill can become a monotonous exercise. Through the streets and through the parks, walking is much more interactive. From the very movement of people and nature, any exercise becomes more interesting. According to the exercise physiologist, the simple movement of things around you becomes one of the best stimuli that exists.

The Doctor. William Komatsu just points out that some care must be taken when choosing the location for the walk. “Choose parks or wooded places, as studies have shown that pollution decreases the body’s absorption of oxygen, thus reducing its performance,” he suggests.

walking period

For those who are just starting out, the recommended thing is to walk between 10 and 15 minutes, every day of the week. If you don’t have time available, it’s preferable to practice in as many days as possible, so the results will come faster. Each week, Dr. William Komatsu suggests increasing the total training time by 3 minutes, but this increase varies according to the willingness and ease of each one.

walking intensity

After a while, you will feel the need to increase the intensity of the walk as well. “But it will happen naturally, which is a great sign. It means that the body is used to carrying out an exercise and a new step can be taken”, explains the exercise physiologist.

The next step, therefore, is to vary the intensity, starting to walk faster, as well as going up and down ramps, for example. Another suggestion is to modify the training to 3 minutes of walking and then jogging for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then walking again, repeating the cycle. “In this new phase, the individual will be getting his body used to running and gradually decreasing walking”, he says.

get results again

With the frequent practice of walking, the body can present balance in metabolism, a sign that it is already adapting to the rhythm. “The ideal at this stage is to start accelerating the pace gradually, until you finally start running. It is important to emphasize that this change from one stage to another must always happen in the most comfortable way possible, without pushing your limit”, clarifies the exercise physiologist.

Stay tuned

The results of walking and a future run are encouraging, especially when the heart starts to beat faster. This is a sign that an effort is being made. However, care must be taken. The Doctor. William Komatsu warns that, although the heartbeat should be accelerated, breathing cannot be too labored. “This means that the individual limit has been exceeded”, he concludes.