How many calories does walking burn, or how to lose weight without going to the gym?

First, let's figure out why we actually burn calories when we walk. No, it's not about speed or stride length! When you take the first step, you transfer your body weight to your forward leg. At the same time, the height of your center of gravity from the ground decreases - naturally, because your legs are apart, which means that the distance in a straight line upward becomes smaller. When you step with your other foot, you have to raise your center of gravity (at the moment when your feet are together). And this is where the main consumption of calories occurs - to overcome the force of gravity! Yes, yes, everything is the same as lifting a barbell, only you lift your own body. This is the moment when calories are consumed, the main energy of the step is spent on this.

Walking as a path to health

We all know from childhood that laziness is the engine of progress. Because of it, a person began to ride a horse, then switched to a car, and then to other types of transport. But this historical pattern played a cruel joke on us. Today, in the 21st century, in an era of maximum comfort, obesity has become one of the main health problems. According to statistics, more than half of Russians suffer from excess weight to one degree or another. In some countries (especially on the islands of Oceania) this figure reaches almost 75%. But in general, in the world there are billions of people.

Today we can observe the opposite effect. If laziness does not allow a person to go to the gym or train at home, the easiest way for him to burn calories is walking. Moreover, modern gadgets are equipped with the function of counting steps by default, and flash mobs and challenges are periodically launched in the media, within which a person must walk a set distance.

Next, we will try to figure out how efficiently walking consumes energy, as well as how many calories 1 hour, 1 km or 10,000 steps of walking burns.

How to walk correctly to lose weight

To lose weight 100%, you need to follow some tips:

• The duration of the walk should be at least one hour, because... the fat burning process begins approximately 45 minutes after continuous walking;
• It is better to go in the morning after a light breakfast. This speeds up metabolism and more calories are burned. Morning walks help burn fat faster;
• Clothes should be loose, the soles of sneakers should have good shock absorption;
• To make walking as useful as possible, you need to choose a route over rough terrain, with ups and downs;
• Before walking, be sure to warm up, especially if it is interval walking. You need to start training with warm-up exercises, familiar to everyone from school. After completing your workout, walk slowly for 5 minutes to calm your heart rate.

During any physical exercise, the body loses a lot of fluid, so before and after training you should drink a glass of water to avoid dehydration.

You need to understand that in order to lose weight, you need to exercise regularly. One-time training will not bring results. If you walk every day and eat right, you can lose 6–8 kg per month.

Walking is a solution to problems for many. There is no need to go to the gym, buy special equipment or sportswear. All you have to do is move more.

Walking and calories. General information

Walking is an integral part of our life. Usually a person walks from 1 to 10 kilometers a day. Like any other type of physical activity, walking has a positive effect on the functioning of the body. The most noticeable effects are:

• strengthening heart muscle tissue;
• improving lung function;
• increasing endurance;
• strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
• acceleration of metabolism;
• increasing the overall tone of the body;
• relieving nervous tension.

Essentially, walking is a form of cardio exercise. It differs favorably from running in that it does not create increased pressure on the knee joints. And, of course, one of the important aspects is increased energy consumption. However, you will not find an exact formula for calculating calories burned, since it depends on a large number of factors, both external and internal:

• pace of movement;
• presence/absence of weight (bag, backpack, heavy shoes, etc.);
• terrain;
• temperature conditions;
• physical training of a person;
• body weight;
• growth;
• other factors.

However, general averaged figures, adjusted for the specified nuances, can be given.

Walking vs. Running – Which to Choose?

Often people on a diet go for morning or evening jogging in hopes of quickly getting rid of extra pounds. But do not forget that running increases the load on the knee and ankle joints. And when you're overweight, running puts even more stress on your joints, which can lead to arthritis.

Running is also harmful for vascular diseases. Due to increased stress, blood begins to flow faster, and if the elasticity of the walls is impaired, which often happens in obese people, the vessels may not be able to withstand it and burst.

Walking is a less traumatic form of physical activity. Of course, the effectiveness of losing calories when you run or walk at a leisurely pace is different. But only when we are talking about running at high speed. Only experienced athletes can run a few kilometers at an accelerated pace. And when jogging, you will lose only slightly more calories than when walking briskly.

How do we lose weight while walking?

Hiking, at first glance, does not give the impression of serious physical activity. But let's first figure out how energy is spent at rest.

Let's say a person lies motionless. At the same time, the last meal was a long time ago, and the active phase of the digestive process was completed. The body spends energy only on maintaining constant functions: heartbeat, functioning of internal organs, minimal muscle contractions, mental activity. Pulse and respiration rates are low. Energy consumption in this state is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and is approximately 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour.

But as soon as a person gets up and walks, his pulse increases by about 15 beats per minute, the depth and intensity of breathing increases, which means that the diaphragm works more actively.

Energy consumption immediately increases by 40%. When a person begins to walk, his body and center of gravity constantly move up and down, overcoming the force of gravity - this also requires additional calories. Each step increases their costs, and when the number of steps goes into the thousands, the loss of calories turns out to be very significant.

How to count steps and distance traveled?

It is better to entrust the recording of the distance traveled to special devices such as a pedometer, smart watch or fitness tracker. Fortunately, there are plenty of offers on the market - for every taste, color and budget, as they say. The cost of devices depends on the built-in functionality and manufacturer brand. An alternative is dedicated smartphone apps, such as Google Fit for Android or Apple Health for iOS, which can be used without wearable devices.

Advantages of specialized gadgets:

• Activity measurement accuracy is higher than that of apps.
• Possibility of measuring heart rate and sleep phase (not available on all devices).

Application advantage:

• If you have a smartphone, you can do without extra costs.

How many calories does 1 hour of walking burn?

The three most popular ways to measure the distance a person has walked are: time, distance and number of steps. In calculations, distance is most convenient: knowing it, it is easy to calculate both the duration of the walk and the average speed. But how to measure distance if you are not walking strictly along a straight (or, even better, marked) path? The figures risk being very approximate. Moreover, at certain moments a person can move back and forth in a very small area (for example, on a playground). Of course, there are GPS and GLONASS trackers that will help track movement using satellites, but in real life it is much more convenient to track time. However, in this case you also do not take into account the change in tempo.

Thanks to the efforts of software developers for mobile phones and fitness gadgets, steps have become the most popular unit of measurement today. Mechanical pedometers, popular in the past, were forgotten for some time, but modern digital technologies have given this technique a second life.

So, let's correlate energy consumption with each of these units of measurement. How many kilocalories can you burn in an hour of walking, depending on your weight and speed, you will find out from the table below:

Considering that the average speed of a person while walking is 4–5 km/h, energy consumption per hour of walking is in most cases from 150 to 250 kcal.

Exercises for tone

The combination of walking and other exercises will allow you to quickly get rid of excess weight, maintain muscle and skin tone, and avoid “overwork” of the nervous system from the same type of stress. You can look at our selection of exercises for morning exercises.

Here are a few simple exercises that you can do at home, on the street or in the gym:

• circular movements in the joints clockwise and counterclockwise;
• deep squats with legs wide apart (if impossible, regular squats will do);
• According to reviews, the “bicycle” exercise helps to lose weight. You need to lie on your back, raise your legs and imitate pedaling a bicycle;
• flexion of the body to train the abdominals;
• push-ups from the floor or from an inclined surface.

How many calories does 1 km walk burn?

As you can see from the table given in the previous section, speed greatly affects the energy consumption of walking. Therefore, by extending the kilometer distance by an hour, you will not get much benefit for your figure. It is better to walk short distances at an accelerated pace.

One should also take into account the fact that energy consumption occurs unevenly and increases the more the further a person has walked. Therefore, 1 kilometer is not a very significant value. Very roughly, we can say that the consumption will be 40–50 kcal.

Since 1 kilometer is approximately 10-15 minutes of walking at an average pace, from the point of view of losing excess weight, this distance is too short. It is more convenient to calculate how many calories a 5 or 10 km walk burns.

So, a five-kilometer walking distance will allow you to get rid of 180–250 extra kilocalories. Increasing the speed even over a short period will help bring this figure to 300 kcal.

10 kilometers is a serious distance even for a leisurely walk. At a fast pace you will spend 1.5 hours, and at a normal pace - from 2 to 3. Calorie consumption here reaches 500. Even 2-3 times a week will give a noticeable result. And if this becomes a daily habit, then the extra pounds will disappear literally before your eyes.

How long is it recommended to walk each day?

Everyone has probably heard about 10 thousand steps a day to get rid of all diseases and problems? As in the case of 2 liters of water, this is a stereotype. And it comes from Japan, where the inventor of the first electronic pedometer, Yoshiro Hatano, called it Mampo-kei. Translated into Russian, this means “10,000 steps.” One version of why Yoshiro named his invention this way is that it’s just a beautiful round number.

10,000 steps is approximately 8 km. And many, of course, are frightened by this figure. There is no need to take it literally, because there are a lot of variables: what surface a person moves on, at what speed, in what weather conditions and, finally, what kind of training a person has. Even going up from the 1st floor to the 18th-20th floor a couple of times carries a load that is much greater than idle wandering throughout the day.

A simple rule: less is better, but more is more active. Research from the Active 10 Project shows that 3 brisk, 10-minute walks a day are healthier than 10,000 slow steps. In addition, short but fast walks are better suited for the modern rhythm of life.

The recommended rate of physical activity for a person is at least 150 minutes per week. Such recommendations are given by the World Health Organization. Walking or other activity should be done at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week. And this is just to maintain health. Note that physical activity can be distributed throughout the day:

• 10 minutes of brisk walking three times a day;
• or 20 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes later during the day.

Doctors advise counting not the steps taken, but the total time of physical activity, but if you are still interested in the numbers of steps taken, there are now many fitness bracelets on the market with a step counting function. The same mobile applications can be installed on any smartphone.

How many calories does walking 10,000 steps burn?

Steps are a very significant unit of measurement. The step length of an adult is from 60 to 80 cm, so the distance traveled can vary significantly, but the number of similar movements will be the same.

For calculations, you can determine the step length in several ways:

• take ten steps and measure the distance traveled, and then divide it by 10;
• multiply your height by 0.41;
• use an average of 70 cm.

Now, using the data from the previous sections, it will not be difficult for us to calculate that 10,000 steps will help us spend from 250 to 350 kcal, and such a walk will take about an hour and a half.

Applications for Android and iOS

Special programs for gadgets will help make training easier, more interesting and effective. Among them:

• Endomondo Sports Tracker . Allows you to accurately calculate location, movement speed, distance traveled and energy consumption. A plus is the ability to view statistics, set goals and results of other users;
• CardioTrainer for Android. Has all the features of the previous program, plus allows you to see a breakdown of speed relative to distance traveled. The calorie counting interface is interesting;
• Spring. An interesting application that not only tracks physical activity and route, but also, thanks to a special playlist, allows you to set the rhythm of movement.

How to increase your calorie burn while walking

If you want to make walking more effective as a cardio exercise, we recommend that you pay attention to several important nuances.

1. The most important thing is to walk regularly. Make walking your tradition.
2. Hilly terrain significantly increases calorie consumption. Both the mountain path and the granite staircase are quite equivalent in this regard.
3. The same applies to rough terrain and roads without artificial surfaces.
4. Try to cover at least part of the path at a fast pace.
5. Use weights. As such, you can use either special leg cuffs with metal plates or a banal backpack with things.
6. Avoid snacking while walking. At least when it comes to fast food. It’s better to take something dietary with you on the road, for example, unsweetened drinking yogurt.
7. Older people should pay attention to Nordic walking, which uses special poles like ski poles. It reduces the load on the musculoskeletal system and allows you to cover a greater distance, and also corrects your posture.
8. Combine regular walks with proper nutrition, morning exercises, going to the gym and good, long sleep.

Walking up the stairs

Walking up and down stairs has enormous aerobic benefits. Professional skiers who prepare their legs for competitions train on the stairs. Professional models do the same - nothing shapes your legs for the catwalk more than constantly going up and down the stairs. The rate of calorie consumption when walking up stairs is much higher compared to walking or even running.

The body loses about 0.17 calories when going up and 0.05 calories when going down one step. If you walk up and down the stairs every day for at least half an hour, your body will be able to burn at least 300 calories.

How to find out your walking speed

As we have already noted, the pace of walking directly affects energy expenditure. But how do you know how fast you are moving? There are several ways to do this.

The easiest way to measure the pace of movement is using a special device: many fitness gadgets and applications for mobile phones can determine both the instantaneous speed and its average value over a distance.

If there is no suitable device or application, do not despair, but simply record how many steps you take per minute - everything will immediately become clear.

• Slow pace. 60–70 steps per minute roughly corresponds to a speed of 2.5–3 km/h. This walking regimen is suitable, for example, for people suffering from heart disease (angina, ischemia, etc.), including those who have had a heart attack.
• Average temp. 70–90 steps per minute is about 3–4 km/h. This speed is good for people without physical training at the retraction stage, as well as for those who are faced with heart disease in a non-acute form.
• Fast pace. 90–110 steps per minute allow us to reach a speed of 4–5 km/h. This is a normal step for a healthy adult. With prolonged walking, a noticeable training effect occurs.
• Very fast pace. Speed ​​5–7 km/h, which is approximately 110–140 steps per minute. This is already a frank cardio load. It will be difficult for an unprepared person to maintain such a speed for a long time.
• Tall people in good physical shape can walk faster (up to 9 km/h) without switching to running or race walking. But it would be quite difficult to call it a walk.

How long does it take to complete a marathon?

A standard walking speed of 5 km/h will allow you to cover the 42.2 km marathon in 8.5 hours, but such a long walk requires months of preparation, as well as good and comfortable shoes.

Professional race walkers will, of course, complete the marathon faster than most recreational runners. For example, to receive the title “candidate master of sports of Russia,” men must walk 50 km in 4:45:00 at a speed of 10.53 km/h (05:42 min/km), that is, 42.2 km at this pace. will pass in 4 hours. For masters of sports, the standard for 50 km is 4:20:00 (11.54 km/h – 05:12 min/km). Converted to a marathon distance, this equals 3 hours 40 minutes.

The world record in 50 km race walking belongs to the French athlete Yoann Dini - 3:32:33 (14.1 km/h - 4:15 min/km). He would cover 42.2 km at a walk in 2 hours 59 minutes!

How else to calculate calorie consumption

There are many formulas for determining energy costs. But we want to draw your attention to two of them.

The first depends on the nature and speed of walking. It gives average numbers, but in practice this will be quite enough to help you create a walking schedule or evaluate your progress. So, for 1 kg of human body weight for 1 hour of walking the consumption is:

• at a speed of 8 km/h on a flat road - 10 kcal;
• at a speed of 6 km/h on a flat road - 4.5 kcal;
• at a speed of 4 km/h on a flat road - 3.2 kcal;
• at a speed of 2 km/h uphill - 6.4 kcal;
• walking over rough terrain at variable speeds - 6.4 kcal.

The second method is fundamentally different from the first. It is based on the fact that all significant factors (speed, distance, terrain, etc.) ultimately affect a person’s heart rate. And, therefore, knowing it, we can calculate calorie consumption. The following formula is used for this:

E = 0.002 × M × T × (P – PP)

E - energy consumption in kcal;

M—body weight in kg;

T—walking time in minutes;

PP - resting pulse in beats per minute;

P - pulse during movement in beats per minute.

When is the best time to go

Choose the time of your walks at your own discretion, when it is convenient for you, taking into account your working hours. Walking in the morning helps burn calories quickly. But before the walk you need to have breakfast, otherwise the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract may be disrupted.

Evening walks help get rid of negative emotions accumulated during the day and improve sleep. You need to go for a walk no later than 3 hours before bedtime so that your biological rhythms do not go astray.

You should not walk in the heat, as such walks lead to fluid loss and can lead to overheating.

Walking rules for weight loss

How many calories can you burn in an hour of walking is just one side of our question. Even such a habitual action has its own rules, features and technique. Let's name the main theses.

1. Watch your posture. Correct body position is the key to effective walking. Don't slouch. Keep your head straight and look ahead. Do not lean your body forward. The neck and shoulders should be in a relaxed state.
2. Move with energy. For example, swing your arms more actively. This tones the muscles of the shoulders and core, and also increases energy expenditure.
3. It is recommended to keep the abdominal and buttock muscles slightly tense while walking.
4. Choose comfortable shoes. Patent leather heels are not the best choice. You should also avoid shoes with thin and too soft soles (for example, moccasins). For the same reason, between sneakers and sneakers, it is better to choose the latter. A sufficiently thick, elastic and springy base will not rub the foot, will reduce the load on the joints, and will add dynamism to steps.
5. The same goes for clothes. It should not restrict movement or distract your thoughts. In addition, do not forget that effective walks may be accompanied by light sweating, which indicates active energy expenditure. Make sure that in your wardrobe for this occasion there are, if not tracksuits, then at least suitable things in a casual style.
6. Don't overexert yourself. Of course, after a walk there should be a certain feeling of fatigue. But severe overwork, poor health, dizziness will indicate that you have started right off the bat, and the load should be reduced by reducing the distance and time of walking.
7. Choose routes that interest you and change them from time to time. Picturesque places, water embankments, areas with beautiful architecture, forested areas will be an excellent choice.
8. Walking efficiency will also enhance proper breathing. You should breathe only through your nose, and the rhythm of breathing and walking should correspond to each other. When increasing the pace of movement, you must ensure that there is no shortness of breath and, if possible, do not stop breathing through your nose. When walking at a fast pace, it is permissible to breathe through both your mouth and nose at the same time, but only if the air outside is unpolluted. In frosty weather, when there is strong wind or a lot of dust in the air, it is correct to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
9. If you have no health problems, then the emphasis should be on the pace of movement. And if you are going through a period of rehabilitation after an illness, then focus on distance and duration.
10. In hot sunny weather, do not forget to wear a hat and take water with you.
11. It’s very good if you have a fitness bracelet that allows you to control not only your movement along the distance, but also the state of your body (pressure, pulse, etc.).
12. No time for walks? Walk to work (or school)! Yes, you'll have to wake up a little earlier, but believe me, it's worth it.

What types of walking are there?

Globally, walking can be divided into three types:

• natural movement;
• sports and recreational walking;
• military applied movement.

This group includes the Olympic track and field discipline of race walking, in which the athlete is required to constantly keep his foot in contact with the ground.

Nowadays Nordic walking with the help of specially designed poles is experiencing an explosion in popularity. For those who want to lose weight, walking with poles is the most effective activity, since the calorie burning here is almost the same as in running. A noticeable advantage of Nordic walking is that it activates not only the leg muscles, but also the muscles of the upper body.

Read on the topic: Nordic walking: benefits, technique, beginner mistakes

Health path is a gentle form of health-improving walking. The patient usually walks under the supervision of a doctor along marked routes. One of the first health path routes in Russia was laid in 1901 in Kislovodsk. A health path involves dosed physical activity taking into account the landscape.

Healthy skiing, just like healthy running, should not cause discomfort to the practitioner. In winter, skiing becomes a good alternative to running, since such activities involve almost all muscle groups without impact on the joints. Skiing also develops your sense of balance.

What are the benefits of walking besides burning calories?

From the point of view of physiological effects on the body, walking is a complete cyclic aerobic exercise. Their benefits are not limited to increasing the volume of physical activity.

Walking helps prevent the development of cardiac diseases. It increases the overall endurance of the body, which means it improves respiratory and circulatory functions. The muscles of our limbs that are involved in the work act as a kind of peripheral heart, helping to pump blood and improving its circulation in the capillaries. Metabolism is normalized, especially for people in the older age group.

Modern research shows that walking has a stimulating effect on the secretion of the digestive glands, gastrointestinal tract, liver, and gall bladder.

Properly selected shoes provide a massage effect on the nerve endings of the feet.

If you continue walking regardless of the weather, it helps strengthen your body. Resistance to a number of diseases, primarily colds, is growing.

Another interesting and unexpected property of walking is that it helps you quit smoking. Of course, for those who decide to systematically engage in walking, it is, in principle, advisable to give up cigarettes, and regular exercise disciplines a person, helping to forget about tobacco. But the impact occurs not only on a psychological, but also on a physiological level. Beneficial changes in the body reduce the need for nicotine. This is evidenced by medical statistics: among people who practice walking, the number of those who quit smoking is several times higher than the average. By the way, this is also true for running.

Tips for beginners

Anyone can practice walking to lose weight: both a pensioner and a very overweight person. This is the most affordable way to lose weight of all known. But before starting training, it is recommended that you read the information below.

How long to walk

The walk can last for an unlimited time. There is no upper limit on duration or distance: travel as many kilometers as you feel necessary. The main thing is not to overdo it. Classes begin with hikes over shorter distances, then gradually lengthen them. The body itself will tell you when you need to increase the duration of your workouts.

For an untrained person, a speed of 3-4 km per hour or walking in place at his usual pace is sufficient to achieve the effect. More trained persons or representatives of physical labor can move at a speed of 6-8 km/h.

If you experience discomfort, pain, severe palpitations or shortness of breath, it is recommended to stop any physical activity. If the condition does not improve after this, you should seek medical help.

To “start” fat burning processes, you need to walk for at least an hour a day. In 30-40 minutes, the body, in order to meet increased energy needs, will be forced to switch to breaking down fat reserves.

Accordingly, already at the initial stage of training, about half an hour will be allocated for burning fat, which will allow you to effectively fight excess weight.

Over time, as opportunities grow, walks can be increased. You also need to gradually increase the pace of movements. You yourself will feel the need to increase the duration and intensity of your studies, which will be expressed in an ever-increasing desire to go further, which will be increasingly difficult to resist. The need to increase the intensity and time of training will be indicated by the ease of tolerance of previous loads, the feeling that not everything has been accomplished and there is an opportunity to do more.

If you want to burn more calories, it is advisable that walking becomes a part of your life: walking to the store, place of work, amusement park, restaurant, cinema, etc.

We provide you with an approximate walking program for a month to burn calories. The given program is an example - it is not necessary to repeat it completely. All training must be individualized. The intensity of the exercise should be adjusted in accordance with the reaction and needs of the body.

Week 1:

• Day 1. Slow walking for 30-40 minutes (the day is considered a preparatory day; based on its results, the ability to train further is assessed).
• Day 2: Walk slowly for an hour.
• Day 3. Slow walk 1-1.5 hours.
• Day 4. Workout at a moderate pace for about half an hour (the possibility of increasing the load is considered).
• Day 5. Moderate walking pace for 1-1.5 hours with rest breaks.
• Day 6. Walk at a moderate pace for 1.5-2 hours with breaks.
• Day 7. Rest or walk at a slow pace.

Week 2:

• Day 1. Walking at a moderate pace for at least 1 hour (then walking should be at least 1 hour per workout), performing breathing exercises.
• Day 2. Walk with interval walking + breathing exercises.
• Day 3. Interval training with breathing and light physical exercise (jumping, squats, etc.).
• Day 4. Walk at a high pace of walking + breathing exercises (tolerance of a high pace of walking is assessed).
• Day 5. Training at a moderate pace with free exercises.
• Day 6. High-intensity class + light exercise.
• Day 7. Rest or walk at a moderate pace.

Week 3:

• Day 1. Interval training with strength exercises.
• Day 2. High-intensity walking with light physical exercise (up to half an hour).
• Day 3. Walking at a moderate pace and strength exercises + breathing exercises.
• Day 4. Walk at a high pace with breathing exercises.
• Day 5. Interval walking, strength exercises (10-15 minutes).
• Day 6. High-intensity walk, free exercise.
• Day 7: Rest or walk at a moderate pace.

Week 4:

• Day 1. Interval training with strength and breathing exercises.
• Day 2: High-intensity walk with floor exercises.
• Day 3. Interval walking + strength exercises for at least 30 minutes.
• Day 4: Interval training, free exercise or breathing exercises.
• Day 5. Walk at an intense rhythm with strength training.
• Day 6. Interval walk, free exercises.
• Day 7. Rest or easy walk.

When to go

It is advisable to choose the training time according to individual biorhythms rather than the general population. Although there is an increase in the concentration of hormones in the body in the pre-dawn hours, which is a kind of wake-up signal, not everyone is comfortable waking up early in the morning. A similar picture is observed with going to bed. It is important to take into account the work schedule, since after an active workout it can be difficult to “join” it.

The advantage of morning workouts over evening classes is the speedy transition to the “calorie burning” mode. However, training on an empty stomach is prohibited, although such an approach may seem irrational. Exercising on an empty stomach disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and leads to disruption of its physiological rhythm of work. Therefore, before your morning workout, it is advisable to have a light breakfast.

Evening exercises allow you to get rid of negative emotions accumulated during the day, relieve mental and physical stress, and have a beneficial effect on sleep. Their disadvantage is the longer process of “building up”, the need for a more thorough warm-up. Also, the body takes longer to get used to the evening exercise routine. It is important that training takes place no later than 3 hours before bedtime, otherwise you can disrupt biological rhythms and harm the cardiovascular and endocrine systems.

It is highly undesirable to train at lunchtime, since then the greatest solar activity is observed, which negatively affects the body.

Exercising in the heat is especially dangerous, as it leads to severe loss of fluid, puts excessive strain on the heart and respiratory system, and can lead to overheating and other dangerous consequences.

Where to go

It doesn’t matter where the classes take place. You can walk anywhere convenient:

• at home;
• on the staircase;
• on the street (away from the roadway);
• at the stadium;
• in the gym on a treadmill;
• on the bank of a river or lake;
• in the park.

The main condition is the presence of clean air, since heavy gases and impurities from the air entering the lungs impair breathing, additionally load the cardiovascular system, and reduce the effectiveness of training.

Clothes for walking

Proper walking for weight loss begins with choosing clothes and shoes. The latter plays a special role. It must correspond to the size (no squeezing or dangling of the foot), provide fixation of the ankle joint, but not limit movement in it. It is undesirable to wear shoes with completely flat soles, since they do not allow physiological distribution of the load on the foot and lead to compression in the direction from bottom to top. Also, shoes should be soft. It creates the effect of a soft spring - it performs a shock-absorbing function. Otherwise, the risk of developing flat feet, injuries, and increased wear of articular surfaces increases.

Shoes should not be too heavy or light - they need to be felt. It is advisable to use sneakers. They should be changed every 400-450 km, because by this time they have time to wear out and lose their shock-absorbing function.

Clothes should be comfortable: not tight to the body and not hanging. Natural fabrics are recommended because they allow air to pass evenly (the fabric “breathes”) and ensure normal sweat production and evaporation (the body cools naturally). Dark fabrics heat up more, so wearing them in hot weather is not advisable. Light-colored clothing heats up less, so it is more suitable for activities in the warm season. In cold weather, it is recommended to wear hats.

Clothes and shoes must be appropriate for the weather, otherwise training will lead to illness.

Warm-up

Warm-up is a must. It is especially relevant for interval training, walking at a fast pace or on stairs. Loading on unheated muscles leads to excessive damage to their fibers and increases the recovery period. Sudden stress on joints, ligaments and bones can cause severe damage. Without warming up, the likelihood of injury increases by 2-3 times.

You should start the lesson with light breathing exercises, warming up movements in the joints (necessarily in large ones), rotations of the neck and pelvis, squats, and muscle stretching. Everything is like in school physical education classes. Then they move on to slow walking for a short distance, soon increasing the pace. Be sure to monitor your health, breathing and heartbeat. Afterwards, you can rest for up to 5-8 minutes before the main workout. In addition, warming up will allow you to burn more calories.

Walking technique

It is extremely important to know how to walk correctly. Although this seems strange, many people do not know how to walk, which is why exercise will only be harmful to their health.

The correct walking technique is as follows:

• Correct posture. You need to stand straight, do not arch your back or lean forward, otherwise the stress on your feet and spine will increase by 1.5-2 times, which increases damage to bone and cartilage tissue. Correct posture will ensure easy breathing and avoid pain in the legs and back.
• Chin parallel to the ground, gaze straight. This ensures reliable fixation of the cervical spine, which minimizes the likelihood of injury. Looking ahead will allow you to respond in a timely manner to the appearance of an obstacle.
• Shoulders relaxed. They are located freely or slightly retracted posteriorly (depending on the flexibility of the joints). Walking with a tense shoulder girdle causes excessive shock to internal organs.
• The abdomen is tucked, but not tense. This achieves the effect of a pillow - the internal organs are maintained in a physiological position, their shaking is minimized.

The efficiency of burning fat while walking or running increases when you engage your arms. According to various sources, this increases the effectiveness of classes by 4-10%. The limbs are bent at the elbow joints at a right angle. If this technique is too exhausting, you can use your hands for 5-15 minutes until the body gets used to the increasing loads.

• It is forbidden to clench your fists. Clenched fists increase blood pressure, which is highly undesirable. It is recommended to keep your elbows close to your body.
• The feet should be parallel to each other. This will protect the joints from premature wear.
• Walking involves rolling from heel to toe. First, the heel is lowered, then the foot rolls towards the toe. If there is simultaneous contact with the surface of the entire foot, it is worth reviewing the technique or changing shoes.
• The steps are moderate. A step that is too long or short disrupts balance and increases the load on the foot. The repelling limb should be at a greater distance from the body, because the pushing force is placed on it.
• Breathing should be of moderate depth and uniform. Sharp inhalations and exhalations lead to shortness of breath and the training will have to be stopped. The appearance of severe shortness of breath, discomfort or pain in the lungs is a signal to reduce the intensity of training or to stop it.
• The heart rate should not exceed the maximum for a particular age.
• There is a concept of the “fat-burning pulse zone” - the heart rate at which maximum burning of fat reserves is achieved. The “fat burning zone” is considered to be a heart rate corresponding to 60-70% of the maximum safe frequency. The “fat burning zone” can be determined using the formula 220 beats/min. subtract the age in years (get the safe heart rate limit for a specific age) and multiply by resp. percent.
• Walking speed should be increased gradually.

How much water to drink

Replenishment of water and mineral losses is mandatory. Most of the salts dissolved in water are excreted from the body through sweat. In the absence of their supply, problems with the heart and nervous system are observed, and seizures may develop.

You can drink before starting a workout. But a little. Otherwise, breathing is impaired, and the load on the heart and kidneys increases significantly. It is recommended to drink small sips (3-5) during training. Do not drink too much water, otherwise you will have to stop the activity.

After training, it is necessary to restore the water-mineral balance. Freshly squeezed juice or mineral water (preferably without gas) will help. You should not drink a lot of liquid at once. It is better to drink the same amount in short periods of time. For the average person, 0.5 to 1.5 liters of water per workout is enough to replenish fluid loss.

Drinking sports drinks with caffeine is highly discouraged. Because they overload the heart muscle and lead to increased blood pressure.

Goal while walking

Each workout should pursue a specific goal, which will make it more effective and make it easier to bear the load. It is recommended to set yourself a small task each time. For example: walk to a certain street, cover 10 km or climb a hill 5 times. This approach will allow you not to miss training, develop resilience and the habit of achieving what you want. Quite quickly, the psyche will get used to the formation of regular tasks, which will allow you to constantly improve your results.

Motivation

Walking is an affordable and completely free way to normalize body weight. The only thing required is desire. Regular exercise will not only help you get rid of fat deposits, but also improve your health, develop strength and endurance. It has been proven that playing sports builds strong-willed qualities, allows you to fight stress, and discover hidden potential. At the very least, it will become a useful hobby. If you walk accompanied by music or audio books, you can significantly expand your worldview.

Joint training allows you to make new acquaintances, motivate each other, and strengthen relationships. It is noted that during joint exercises, load tolerance increases, therefore, productivity increases.

Walking - further, longer, faster

Energy must not only be spent, but also received. No amount of walking will benefit your health if you buy yourself a hamburger or shawarma every time along the way. We have described the principles of proper nutrition that help improve health and achieve an impeccable figure in our other publications.

In our case, the task is to ensure that the resulting energy goes into reserves as little as possible and at the same time allows the body to work in aerobic exercise mode for as long as possible. This can be achieved not only through healthy nutritious products from our refrigerator, but also with the help of sports nutrition products.

Thus, Azverton Aerobic from the domestic Fitnes&Life line of sports nutrition will help increase the distance and time of walking and break down fat more effectively.

Carnosine and citrulline included in Azverton Aerobic increase the duration of work without fatigue due to the fact that they prevent the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. The combined action of synephrine, carnitine, taurine and riboflavin switches the body to obtain energy from broken down fats. Ribose, royal jelly, glutamine prevent muscle breakdown, allowing you to maintain muscle strength and lose weight without loss of functionality and tone. L-citrulline improves blood flow in muscles. The drug also contains a number of important vitamins: C, B2, B4. AT 9.

Thus, Azverton Aerobic will help make your walks noticeably longer and more intense, while increasing the fat-burning efficiency of each step taken.

You can purchase Azverton Aerobic in pharmacies, sports nutrition departments and on specialized Internet sites.

Nutrition and sleep

No amount of physical exercise will allow you to lose weight if there is an excessive intake of calories into the body. You can calculate your daily calorie intake using an online calculator. Those who want to lose excess weight need to reconsider their diet and keep a strict count of the foods consumed per day. At the same time, it is forbidden to starve and overeat, since this will not only not lead to the desired result, but will also harm your health.

Walking exercises for weight loss will be effective only if they are regular and follow proper nutrition. The body must satisfy energy needs by burning fat deposits.

In the morning, it is advisable to eat 30-40 minutes before the start of training (a small meal of light food, for example, a diet shake). It is not recommended to eat food 1.5-2 hours before evening training. You can eat in 20-30 minutes. after finishing classes. At this time, the “protein-carbohydrate window” is activated, when foods are absorbed best.

During sleep, damaged tissues are restored, muscle fibers grow, energy reserves are replenished, digestion is enhanced, and the nervous system rests. It is recommended to sleep at least 7 hours a day, but no more than 9-10.

Bibliography

1. Bondin V.I. Kinesis-energonomic foundations for constructing physical education and health programs // Tauride Scientific Observer. – 2022. – No. 12. – Part 2. – P.28–33.
2. Gortsev G. How to become slim. Secrets of losing weight. – M.: T8 RUGRAM, 2022.
3. Kulakov V. N., Popov Yu. A., Tikhonov S. A., Suslov F. P. Middle and long distance running / ed. ed. V. V. Kuznetsova. – M.: Physical culture and sport, 1982. – 174 p.
4. Pyastolova N. B., Gurov A. I., Taratynova O. V. Methodological foundations of independent physical exercises // Physical culture. Sport. Tourism. Motor recreation. – 2016. – T.1. - No. 3. – P.44–47.
5. Tudor-Locke C., Pangrazi RP, Hatano Y., Kang M.. Revisiting “How Many Steps Are Enough?” // Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. – 2008. – No. 40 (7). – pp. 537–543.
6. I-Min Lee, Eric J. Shiroma, Masamitsu Kamada, et al. // JAMA Intern Med. Published online. – 2022. – No. 179 (8). – P. 1105–1112.

Author: Chernetsov M. A.

Reviewer: reflexologist Kurus A. N.

Walking for weight loss. The right approach

A leisurely walk will be beneficial for the whole body if it brings pleasure. Simply clocking up kilometers will not improve your psycho-emotional state in any way. On the contrary, such a test will forever discourage the desire to walk. Therefore, even in this simple version of physical activity, it is recommended to adhere to certain rules and principles. Let's look at the most important of them.

Count calories

The main principle of weight loss is creating a calorie deficit. Walking will not help you lose weight if your daily intake is many times higher than normal. To burn the calories received from food, you will have to walk many kilometers:

• hamburger - at least 4 kilometers;
• a small can of cola (330 ml) - almost 2 km;
• French fries - 6 km;
• Snickers - 3 km;
• pizza - 5 km;
• cake - 7 km.

But this is only a small part of the food that you can eat in a day. To really lose weight from walking with the same diet, you will have to walk about 20-25 km daily. And this is a 4-5 hour walk. Not everyone can withstand that much.

Increase your speed gradually

One of the questions that worries people is what is more effective: running or walking for losing weight? Each method has certain advantages and disadvantages. While leisurely walking is recommended for almost everyone, running has a fairly wide list of contraindications. For example, overweight people are not recommended to run. This can lead to injuries to the joints, spine, and problems with the cardiovascular, respiratory, and support systems.

A brisk walk is another matter. The main thing is to increase the speed gradually, as you get used to it. For the first few weeks, walk at your usual rhythm, and then move on to Nordic or interval walking.

Recommended Products

To lose weight while staying healthy, you need to maintain a calorie deficit. But this does not mean that you will have to starve yourself by following radical diets. Every day the body needs nutrients, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals. They get them from food. Therefore, it is recommended to include the following products in your diet:

• vegetables;
• fruits;
• lean meats;
• fish;
• fermented milk products;
• low fat curd cheese;
• wholemeal bread;
• cereals, cereals;
• mushrooms.

It is recommended to make the menu for every day varied, tasty, and nutritious. The main thing is to maintain the calorie norm, and do not forget about the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Tone your body

When walking, it is recommended to monitor your body position. It should be in good shape, a little tense. Then you will be able to use the maximum number of muscles, turning an ordinary leisurely walk into an intense workout:

• Bend your elbows and move them actively to the rhythm of walking. That is why it is recommended to put personal belongings in a belt bag or backpack so that nothing interferes with movement.
• Keep your back straight, don't slouch your shoulders.
• Try to pull in your stomach a little, tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Watch your breathing. It should be calm, measured, without shortness of breath.

Such simple tips will help you use your muscles as much as possible and get the benefits of walking.

How much water to drink

Drink water in small sips as needed. Drinks should not contain sugar, caffeine, dyes, or preservatives.

Throughout the day, it is necessary to monitor the amount of drinking water consumed and adhere to the norm. Doctors recommend determining your individual daily water intake at the rate of 30 ml per kilogram of weight.

It is recommended to eliminate or minimize alcohol consumption. It has quite a lot of calories. It is better to direct them to healthy, nutritious, vitamin-rich foods.

Reviews and results

Feedback from people who walk regularly is very positive. Most note a general improvement in well-being, a decrease in fatigue and irritability. The main thing is to find the ideal scheme. You should not focus on, for example, 5 km or 10 thousand steps. At the initial stage, it’s normal to do half as much, monitor the body’s reaction, and adapt to its needs.

Based on the reviews, you can track the following positive changes:

• Stress levels decrease. Manages to cope better with problems at work and at home.
• Increases efficiency and concentration. This is especially important for people whose work requires concentration.
• Blood pressure is normalized. Positive dynamics are also observed in people with cardiovascular diseases.

It is necessary to find your own type of walking that creates feasible, but at the same time quite intense loads. Then daily walks will become the norm. They will benefit the entire body.

Motivation

Health and wellness are the main sources of motivation. You shouldn’t hope for miraculous, quick weight loss. It will not be possible to lose tens of kilograms in a month, and all the enthusiasm will fade away, because the number on the scale will remain at the same level.

When going for a walk, you should remember how positively it affects the body and all its systems. Experts recommend keeping a diary and indicating in it the duration of the walk, briefly recording feelings and thoughts.

It is also recommended to develop a reward system. Give yourself a gift for completing a certain plan. It could be a book, a new dress, cosmetics - anything that brings joy.