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.
Nov. 30, 2022
- 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.
- Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. 2nd ed. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2017.
- 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.
- Hensrud DD, et al., eds. The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet. 2nd ed. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2018.
- 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.
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/current-guidelines. Accessed Oct. 8, 2020.
- Pizzorono JE, et al., eds. Obesity. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 8, 2020.
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