Work smarter not harder! Yes, this is not just an office motto, it applies to fitness as well. It may sound surprising to you, but it's more than possible.
In this Blog, we will dive into the science behind why walking is an incredibly smart move for weight loss.
Working with so many clients in the past, I know for many of you out there, the thought of running on a treadmill might feel more like a punishment than an enjoyable activity. if you are someone who wants to lose fat but isn’t a huge fan of running on the treadmill, this video is for you.
In a 2014 study (1), they conducted an experiment on two groups of obese women. The first group walked for 50-70 min only three times a week. The second group, which was the control group, maintained their sedentary lifestyle. After 12 weeks, they did body measurements again and it showed that the group who walked three times a week lost fat around their belly and improved their insulin resistance. This clear difference between the two groups shows the power of something as simple as walking for weight loss and better health.
In my own personal experience when walking was my main form of cardio, I saw an accelerated loss of fat tissue, you could see this comparing my 2019 competition preparation where running was my main form of cardio to 2020 preperation where walking was my prodominant form of cardio.
Getting under 10% body fat and getting rid of stubborn belly fat was much easier compared.
The truth is walking is an often overlooked form of cardio, but according to many studies done in the field, it is very effective for fat loss. In order to understand this well, we need to first understand what are the main fuels your body uses when you move or perform your exercise:
Our body mainly depends on two types of fuel:
Our bodies prioritize carbohydrates as the primary source of energy because of their vital role in fueling all of our cells, particularly the brain. And then comes fat.
1-Carbs:
Carbs, primarily broken down into glucose, is the our body's favorite source of energy. especially for high-intensity activities like HIIT or fast running. Consuming carb-rich foods such as bread turns them into glucose for immediate energy and stores excess in muscles and liver as glycogen for future use. Like a quick battery in a remote, this glycogen provides fast energy during intense workouts but its stores are limited and need replenishing.
The second source is
2- Fat: Fats are a more long-lasting energy source, their stores are almost limtless. When you perform prolonged or low to moderate-intensity activities (like walking), your body tends to use more fat for energy than glucose. However, Fat oxidation or burning is a slower process, but it provides a lot of energy. It's like using logs to fuel a fire - they take longer to burn, but they burn for a long time. That's why, for endurance activities like a marathon or activities like walking, your body taps more into fat stores.
3- Protein: Protein is not a primary energy source, it is like a backup, especially when carbohydrate levels are low. This can be compared to a car running on a spare tire, it is not ideal but functional when necessary. This can happen during extreme exercise or starvation, when glucose and fat are depleted, the body can use protein, that leads to muscle loss if not replenished by adequate protein intake.
To sum up:
However, both glucose and fat are always being used to some extent—it's just the proportion that varies depending on the intensity and duration of the activity.
With this being said, this is another advantage of walking apart from using fat as the main source of energy, it helps you prevent some of the muscle mass loss that may occur during a caloric deficit.
By engaging in regular walking or other forms of moderate exercise, you signal your body that your muscles are still in use and needed. This can help encourage your body to primarily use fat stores for energy, preserving muscle mass. Also, maintaining muscle mass during weight loss can help prevent a decrease in your metabolic rate.
Now we know why walking is a much superior cardio form compared to running for fat loss.
But how many steps should we do to lose fat?
According to Mayclinic.org, the Average American gets between 3,000-4000 steps a day. In my experience, this is overall very low activity.
Research has also shown you burn between 250 – 600 calories per 10,000 steps daily.
Let’s take the former of 250 steps, at the end of the week you burn 1750 calories, in a month, 7000 calories, and in a year, 84,000 calories. We know that 1lb of
fat roughly equates to 3500 calories, which means in a week you can burn half a pound of fat, and in a month 2lb and in a year 24lb of fat.
So with myself and all my clients, we start at a minimum of 8,000 daily steps. If we are losing 1-2lb of the scale each week on average then that’s all the cardio we do.
In my experience, 1,000 steps are equal to 10
minutes of brisk walking. So depending on how much time you have in
your day you can increase these steps.
There are many ways you can get creative and integrate more walking into your daily routine to get to 10K steps a day. Things like:
Does walking have the same health benefits as running?
According to a study (2) published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Picture shown below), walking for 15 minutes and running for 5 minutes were both shown to reduce mortality by 10%, similarly, running for 20 minutes and walking for 1 hour decreases mortality by 35%. This indicates that even though running might be more time-efficient, walking still offers significant health benefits.
Another study done in 2013 concluded that both walking and running can help in reducing the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. So, walking can provide nearly as much benefit as running.
Walking is easy
Another great point about walking is that it is a low-impact exercise, which means it's easier on your body. You can also do it for a longer period without feeling as tired or fatigued as you might after running. Also, you can perform it anywhere you want!
Additionally, walking is less likely to lead to injuries compared to more intense forms of exercise like running. In fact, walking has a low injury risk, between 1 to 5 percent, while running jumps that number up significantly, with a 20 to 70 percent chance of injuries like stress fractures and shin splints.
And the beauty of walking is that you can easily adjust the intensity to suit your fitness level. Or if you have special conditions that have stopped you from being able to run, walking is a great replacement.
Fasted walking
While the scientific studies on fasted training often show mixed results. Speaking from personal experience, I've found great benefits in integrating fasted walking into my daily routine:
Firstly, I've noticed that when I do a brisk morning walk before breakfast, it tends to suppress my appetite. There's also something about starting the day with physical activity that makes me more mindful of my food choices later.
Secondly, I love fasting and this prolongs the fasting period in an effortless way.
Third, I don't like to walk on a full stomach, walking before eating just feels better for me. I can avoid the uncomfortable feeling I sometimes get when I walk after a meal.
Fourth, there's a mental part to this that's pretty rewarding. Each morning walk I finish, makes me feel proud, and it starts my day off right. It's like a small win that gives me a boost of positivity that lasts the whole day.
That said, I think walking before breakfast could be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle for a lot of people. But remember, this is just my personal experience. Everybody is different, and what works for me might not work for everyone else.
Non-Physical benefits
Walking doesn't just help you physically - it's a mood booster too! Studies have shown that consistent walking can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Getting out and walking in the sun clear your mind and reduce stress, all while burning fat and getting some vitamin D.
A recent study conducted in 2022 showed that (3) adults who engaged in just half of the weekly recommended amount of physical activity - which is equivalent to roughly 75 minutes of brisk walking per week - had their risk of depression lowered by 18% compared to those who didn't do any physical activity. Now, if these adults met the recommended amount of physical activity for the week, which is about 2.5 hours of brisk walking, their risk of depression dropped even further by 25%.
Interestingly, According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if all adults could do at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, we might prevent 1 in 9 cases of depression. That's a powerful testament to the mental health benefits of simple activities like walking!
So, the bottom line is, both walking and running are very effective for fat loss, especially when it is combined with a caloric deficit. If you are someone who has little or no activity or if you are extremely overweight, walking is an excellent choice to start your fat loss journey with.
One major point to consider is your personal preference and lifestyle. If you enjoy running and have 20 minutes to spare, then running could be a good option for you. However, if you prefer a more relaxed pace or have more time to spare, walking could be a better fit. Remember, the best exercise is the one you enjoy and can stick with in the long run. Whether you choose to run or walk, the most important thing is that you're staying active and moving your body.