How Much Should You Walk To Lose Weight?

Walking is probably the most underrated and underutilized for weight loss ever. And, since you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you already know this. That’s good, give yourself a pat on the back. 👏 The main reasons why walking is such an amazing tool for weight are accessibility, simplicity, and sustainability. You don’t need a gym membership or any special equipment, heck you don’t even really need to set aside “time” to walk. You can walk to work, during your work calls, during your lunch break, walk home, walk up the stairs rather than taking the elevator, I can go on and on. There is virtually no excuse as to why you can walk, as long as your physically capable. The barrier to entry for walking is bar none, which also means the barrier to entry for weight loss is just the same. That’s good news.

Now, before I tell you how much you should be walking on daily and weekly basis, I want to clarify the results you would get from walking alone versus supplementing with other exercise methods. If you use walking as your main weight loss tool, it will absolutely work…until it doesn’t. See, your body is really good at adapting, and doing the minimum required work for said task. This is basically to say, if burning calories is your goal, the more weight you lose and the more fit you get, the more work it will take for you to lose the same number of calories you were losing when you first started. So, do I suggest you use walking as a weight loss tool? Absolutely. But, do I suggest you use walking as your ONLY weight loss tool? Absolutely not.

So, how much should you be walking per week? Well as usual, it depends. For example, for someone who has been rather sedentary, say for the past 8 months, 5,000 steps/day would be a good starting goal. 5,000 steps is very achievable. Depending on your current weight, you could burn anywhere from 140 - 250 calories, give or take a few. That’s 0.2 - 0.5 pounds of fat loss/week. That might not seem like much, but with 5,000 steps alone, you could lose up to 26 pounds in a year! 26 pounds for a 30 minute walk? That sounds pretty great to me. Now, to be fair, like I mentioned earlier, 26 pounds is ideal but if you’re using walking as your ONLY weight loss tool, you’re probably looking at 50% - 60% of that 26 pounds for the year.

Sidebar: Please note that this increase in activity should not translate into an increase in food intake. If you eat back the calories you burn, you'll essentially undo all of your hard work! Plus, most people overestimate calories burnt and what that actually looks like in food. For example, if you walk the 5,000 steps and burn 200 calories, you could easily UNDO that work but eating 2 bananas. Yes, 2! See what I mean?

Once you feel very comfortable with the 5,000 steps, work your way through the following step scheme:

1. 8,000 steps

2. 10,000 steps

3. 12,000 steps

4. 15,000 steps

For the average person, 12,000 steps is a great goal. I think 12,000 steps is the new 10,000 steps. With most people working from home now, you’re likely not getting those easy “walk to work” or “walk around the office” steps. I mean there’s only so many steps you can get walking from your kitchen to the bathroom 😂. In aiming to walking 12,000 steps/day, you can burn an additional 400 - 600 calories a day, which translates to 0.8 - 1.2 pounds a week! This is not only accessible but also sustainable. Once this habit is created, most people won’t even realize they’re doing “work” or “exercising.” It just becomes a part of your day, and that’s the goal. When walking can become second nature, you’ve won.

So, now that you know how much you should be walking daily, and weekly, I want to provide you with some additional exercises and movement you should include if you want even better results. Walking is a great cardiovascular based activity, but it’ll do very little when it comes to muscle building or “toning.” That being said, you have to include some form of resistance training, and it doesn’t need to be overwhelming either. Remember, right now, at the beginning of your journey, habit building is key. And you won’t build habits if the goals your set are too much too soon. Below, I have written out a fat burning 🥵 workout you should do 3-4 times a week. This bodyweight only workout should take you 30 - 45 minutes. Although this workout is challenging, you will only get out what you put in. That means if your straight lazy with it, than you’re gonna get straight lazy results, it’s that simple.

Metabolic Blaster:

1. Jumping Jacks (50 reps)

2. Pushup (10 reps) regression: pushup negatives

3. Reverse Plank (30 seconds)

4. Reverse Lunges (20 reps)

5. Squat Jumps (10 reps) regression: quarter squat jumps

6. Wall Sit (30 seconds)

7. Burpees (10 reps)

8. Mountain Climbers (30 reps)

9. Plank (30 seconds)

10. Laying Leg Raises (10 reps)

    x 3 - 5 rounds

I know, it’s a lot! But if you’re serious about taking that next step and your limited on time and equipment, this workout is a great bang for buck. You’ll increase your metabolism, burn fat, and get a good sweat on! Once you feel comfortable with 3 rounds, work your way up to 5 rounds. Depending on your fitness and conditioning level this could take weeks or even months, but don’t rush it! When you’r able to complete 5 rounds, a great final standard to work towards is 10 rounds. Depending on your commitment, this WILL take time, again don’t rush it. If you do this 3-4 days a week, you’ll be in great shape mentally and physically. Half the battle will be your mental toughness. Your mind will want you to stop, but you’re going to have to push past the barrier to keep going!

To summarize, especially for those who skipped to the end 😉, walking is a great fat loss tool. For great results, aim to walk 12,000 steps per day. That being said, I highly suggest you incorporate other exercise methods for the BEST results. Also, don’t eat back the calories you burn from walking, it defeats the purpose. I suggest you include resistance based training for said BEST results. And if you’re limited on equipment and time use the free workout above☝️. As usual, if you have any questions or want to know how to further progress the workout (when you’ve reached the 10 rounds 👏) DM me on Instagram or email me at briana@herperformanceacademy.com. I will respond within 48 hours.