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Tracking your daily steps diligently, striving to reach the renowned 10,000-step goal, may not have yielded the results you were anticipating on the scale. Having personally undergone a fitness transformation and subsequently assisting numerous individuals over twenty years in achieving similar goals, I can affirm that walking can be a potent catalyst for weight loss – provided it is executed correctly. Leveraging my expertise in injury prevention, weight management, and postnatal fitness, I have guided numerous clients in reshaping their physiques by implementing uncomplicated and sustainable modifications. Here are the steps to elevate your daily walks from mere physical activity to an effective fat-burning instrument.
Why Walking Works
Walking plays a huge role in overall weight loss. Beyond the obvious heart health benefits, consistent walking helps raise your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is your body’s natural rate of calorie burn. Over time, this increased metabolism helps your body burn more calories, supporting weight loss and helping you stay lean.
Increase Your Walking Intensity
If walking for weight loss, the intensity definitely matters. A moderate pace is still good and will burn calories, but if you pick up the pace or add some hills, you’ll get more out of your walk.
When you walk faster, go uphill, or throw in some brisk intervals, your body has to work harder and burns more calories. It’s all about getting your heart rate up—more energy, more fat burned! So, the higher the intensity, the better it is for your weight loss goals.
Consider Alternative Exercise Forms
Walking 10,000 steps is an effective and sustainable way to support weight loss, improve health, and boost metabolism. However, for faster results, pairing walking with more intense exercises like running, strength training, or HIIT can help accelerate weight loss and lead to more significant body composition changes.
Add Strength Training to Your Routine
While reaching 10,000 steps is fantastic, it shouldn’t be your only focus. While 10,000 steps a day is a solid goal to begin with, you really really need to focus on nutrition and strength training. Walking alone isn’t enough—especially if you’re coming from a sedentary lifestyle. Think of 10k steps daily as a starting point, add a nutrition focus, and then add strength training when ready!
Aim For 10,000 Steps
Aiming for 10,000 steps a day is a fantastic goal for everyone, no matter your fitness goals. It’s a simple yet powerful way to improve overall health. Hitting that daily step count helps reduce the risk of heart disease, maintain muscle mass, boost your metabolism, and ensure proper blood flow throughout the body. Whether you’re focused on weight loss, general health, or just staying active, 10,000 steps a day is an easy and effective target to work towards.
Prioritize Your Diet
Here’s the most crucial truth I share with all my clients: Diet is 90% of the focus when it comes to weight loss. While walking is fantastic for staying active and lowering the risk of heart disease, it’s the food you eat that truly drives weight loss.
The key is ensuring you’re eating enough of the right foods to fuel your body, such as adequate protein and nutrient-dense options like vegetables. These foods help support muscle growth, keep you feeling full, and provide the nutrients your body needs to function at its best.
If you’re not eating enough, your body may hold onto fat because it’s in survival mode. On the flip side, if you’re overeating—whether it’s due to stress, cravings, or mindless snacking—the calories will add up, and weight loss will stall.
Here’s the deal: you can NEVER outwork a bad diet. NEVER. Start with a simple goal like hitting 100g of Protein daily to start!
Maximize Your Walking Routine
For those ready to take their walking routine to the next level, I recommend three proven strategies to make your walking routine more effective for burning fat:
- Add hills (inclines if on treadmill)
- Â Add intervals (alternate between a quicker pace and a slower pace),
- Â Add a weight vest!
When combined with proper nutrition and regular walking, these changes will help accelerate your weight loss journey. As a fitness coach who’s helped countless clients transform their bodies, I can assure you that these small tweaks make a massive difference in your results. And if you enjoyed this article, don’t miss How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
April Medrano-Gatlin, CPT
