Regular walking will help you lose weight. If you follow a few simple rules, daily walks can replace a set of workouts in the gym. For a beginner, walking will be the safest form of exercise.
Number of steps per day for weight loss
The main factors influencing weight loss are walking speed and distance traveled. This means it is important to know how many steps you need to take per day. And also understand at what speed you need to move to achieve the best result.
To lose weight by walking, it is not enough to just walk at a slow pace; it is important to fully invest in it and reach a speed of about 7 kilometers per hour. Your steps should be fast, but not running. A minimum of half an hour of walking at a brisk pace will definitely do the job! Healthy walking is a full-fledged load on the body, if you follow a regular schedule, it can help you lose up to 5 kg within a month of training. By giving an even load on the muscles, healthy walks will not only help you lose weight, but also to get a beautiful, toned body.
Having decided on the approximate distance that you need to walk during the day, it is worth finding out at what speed you need to walk. The average speed for such an exercise is measured in the number of steps per minute. This measurement system is used because healthy walking can be done while standing still. Moreover, activating the entire body.
A pedometer can help determine the number of steps per minute, which makes sense to purchase and carry with you constantly, monitoring the number of steps taken.
The stride length of different people differs from each other, ranging from forty centimeters to a meter. By walking a distance of twenty meters at a normal pace and counting your steps, you can find out what the length of your step is more accurately. Then the distance that was covered must be divided by the number of steps, taking into account the length of the distance in centimeters.
- if a person has heart problems, for example, a heart attack or angina, then he can afford a walking speed not exceeding 70 steps per minute;
- those with a weak cardiovascular system can maintain a walking pace of 70 to 90 steps per minute, which will allow them to cover a distance of 3 to 4 kilometers in an hour;
- For healthy people, it is optimal to walk about 5 kilometers per hour of walking, which will allow them to achieve a speed of 90 to 110 steps per minute;
- if your speed is more than 110 steps, then such a load is quite noticeable for a person with excellent health, it will be an excellent workout, leading to weight loss.
According to British health care, you need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Considering the average distance of 3000 m walked daily, the remaining steps will only need to be walked at an energetic pace and it will not take much time.
Walking 2000 steps burns up to 100 kcal; this distance is approximately 1.5 kilometers. By walking eight kilometers every day, you will be able to meet the required recommended norm of 10,000 steps and this will allow you to get rid of 500 kcal.
On average, a person walks 1.5 kilometers in fifteen minutes, which means that he will cover the required distance after spending about 80 minutes walking. This time will allow you to enjoy a walk and fresh air, combining business with pleasure.
Walk correctly
- Intensive walking can only be done after consulting a specialist and undergoing a full medical examination.
- It is better to start walking at a slower pace, gradually increasing the pace and reducing the walking time.
- It is better to do exercises after meals, at least an hour later. The best results will be achieved by training three times a week.
- An important point when following the exercise is correct posture.
How to make your walk more enjoyable
In addition to walking to lose weight, it is extremely beneficial to simply move more. Walking throughout the day will gradually strengthen your muscles, which will have the best effect on your health, strengthening the physical condition of the body. Walk to lunch, take the stairs instead of the elevator, feel the strength and energy of movement.
If a walk is a tiring and boring activity for you, then you should take a friend with you, with him the time will go faster and more interesting. A good accompaniment to walking will be your favorite music playing in the headphones, as well as, if possible, changing where you walk; new views will not become boring and will turn your wellness procedure from a routine into a pleasant exploration of new corners of the city.
It is no coincidence that they say that movement is life. Lack of physical activity leads to disruption of the coordinated functioning of all body systems, obesity and premature aging. How much walking do you need to do per day to stay alert for a long time and get rid of extra pounds?
What are the benefits of walking?
Physical inactivity occurs in the absence of sufficient physical activity and leads to various disorders in the functioning of the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and musculoskeletal systems. To restore normal functioning of the body, you do not need to sweat for hours in the gym. The simplest and most accessible way for everyone is walking.
How many kilometers a day you need to walk depends on the person’s health status. You can start literally from a few hundred meters - as long as you have enough strength. Gradually increase the pace, distance, time.
The benefits of walking are enormous:
The musculoskeletal system is strengthened;
Metabolic processes are normalized;
The oxygen content in the blood increases;
Blood and lymph circulation improves;
The heart is strengthened;
Blood pressure is normalized;
The tone of the whole body increases;
Blood plasma cholesterol and sugar levels decrease;
The work of the liver, intestines, and digestive organs is stimulated.
In addition, walking allows you to get rid of stress, improves brain activity, tidies up the nervous system and promotes the production of endorphins - the hormones of happiness.
How much walking do you need to do per day?
Walking is a universal means of healing and strengthening the body. It is especially good for people weakened by illness or age and pregnant women. Doctors believe that to generally strengthen the body, you need to walk 5-6 km every day at an average pace - neither fast nor slow. When driving at a speed of 5 km/h, it will take 2 hours.
Where can I find time for this? The easiest way is to go to work and come home from work on foot. In any case, you can simply go out one or two stops from your place of work or home.
How much walking a day should you do to lose weight? To start the fat burning mechanism, you need to increase your speed to 6 or 7 km/h and move without stopping for at least an hour. If the weight is too heavy, then you can start with a half-hour walk.
The modern rhythm of life does not allow most people to frequently engage in active sports. Sedentary work, moving around the city by car or public transport, relaxing in front of the computer and TV leads to physical inactivity and health problems. The simplest form of physical activity is walking.
Why is this useful?
Here are just a few reasons:
- metabolic processes in the body are normalized;
- the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are strengthened;
- muscle tone increases;
- the work of the digestive and respiratory organs is stimulated;
- sleep is normalized and mood improves;
- calories are burned;
- the level of performance and stress resistance increases.
A simple walk lowers cholesterol levels and normalizes blood pressure. It reduces the risk of developing diabetes, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. Walking is suitable for a person of any age and does not require special equipment or training.
Movement of the leg muscles activates blood flow. Internal organs are enriched with oxygen. The benefits of walking for men are the removal of stagnant processes in the pelvis. This is a good prevention of the development of prostatitis.
Movement in the fresh air strengthens the body, increases endurance and slows down aging. Lunchtime walks help during periods of heavy mental stress at work. A change of environment improves memory and enhances concentration.
Where to begin
First of all, there is no need to set speed or time records. When traveling to work by public transport, you can get off a couple of stops earlier and walk the rest of the way. Every day increase the distance by 50-100 meters. Positive changes in well-being will become noticeable within 3-4 days.
It is better to plan the route in advance. It’s good if it takes place along quiet streets, away from highways. For walking, you need to choose light and comfortable shoes. Pay special attention to the optimal walking pace in accordance with your weight and age.
It is necessary to control the position of the body:
- straighten your shoulders;
- tighten your abdominal muscles;
- keep your back straight;
- head up;
- the leg should push off with the toe and rest on the heel;
- as the speed increases, bend your elbows.
Varieties of walking
The optimal load is individual for each person. The health benefits of walking will be noticeable if you choose the right intensity and speed of training. Everyone determines for themselves the type of walking that they consider most comfortable.
The basic principles of healthy walking are regularity and gradualness. Physically healthy people need to pay more attention to increasing the pace, and weakened people need to pay more attention to the duration of walks. Hours of daily training will help normalize the functioning of all body systems and normalize hormonal levels.
For Nordic walking, you need to take a special stick in each hand and push off from the ground. With such movements, all muscle groups are worked out, bone tissue is strengthened. The poles are made of fiberglass and carbon. They reduce the impact load on the knee joints.
When racing walking, the speed of movement increases at least twice. Running is not allowed. The steps are wide, the arms are bent at the elbows and pressed to the body. Such a walk forms beautiful posture and improves the outline of the figure.
Running and walking have almost the same effect. These vigorous activities involve the same muscle groups. But running requires a high degree of endurance and physical fitness. They are not recommended for people who are overweight. Such stress can adversely affect the heart and joints.
An intense one-hour walk replaces a thirty-minute jog.. The risk of injury is extremely low. It's simple and accessible.
The benefits of walking during pregnancy
While waiting for a baby, the load on the entire female body increases. Physical activity will help strengthen your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Walking improves well-being and prepares a pregnant woman for childbirth by strengthening her abdominal muscles. They prevent edema and varicose veins.
The maximum benefit from healthy walking will come from compliance with several conditions:
- it is necessary to move at a slow pace over short distances;
- lower the foot onto the heel, push off with the toe;
- keep your back straight, relax your shoulders;
- if fatigue occurs, take a short break;
- take a foot bath after a walk or lie down with your legs elevated.
Exercises should be stopped if tingling or pain occurs. And it is better to completely abandon them if there is a threat of miscarriage and the tone of the uterus is increased. Severe toxicosis can also interfere with such training.
Choosing comfortable shoes
Suitable shoes should securely support the ankle. An insole that follows the shape of your foot will help reduce fatigue. For hygiene reasons, it must be washed and dried frequently. A sneaker sole that is too smooth will slip in rainy weather. It should be flexible and elastic.
Running shoes force your body to lean forward a little, making it difficult to walk in them. Don't buy hiking shoes. They are too stiff and heavy for everyday walking.
Shoes made from a special material that allows you to wick away moisture during exercise are a good choice. An ultraviolet sneaker dryer will disinfect and help eliminate unpleasant odors.
How long should you walk per day?
Japanese doctor Yoshiro Hatano came to the conclusion that it is necessary to walk a distance of 10,000 steps or 5 kilometers every day. This is a universal approach. You can walk more. It is important to monitor your well-being and avoid overwork.
For people who do not engage in active sports at all, it is better to start with 2500 steps. Later, increase this number to 5000 thousand. A load of 10,000 may frighten them, and there will be no benefit from such physical training. The pedometer app will help you count steps installed on a mobile phone.
Walking for weight loss
Regular long-term exercise and gradually increasing the load really contribute to weight loss. It must be remembered that the process of burning fat reserves in the body begins to occur after 40 minutes of activity.
The number of calories burned depends on various factors:
- pace and duration of classes;
- weight and age of a person;
- his level of physical fitness;
- the road chosen for walking (flat surface or hill);
- intensity of hand movement.
Longer, longer workouts burn more calories. The body of young people breaks down fats faster. The middle and older generation will need more time to lose the same number of kilograms.
The selected speed of 4 km/h will ensure a loss of 3.2 kcal per 1 kg of body weight; 6 km/h - 4.5 kcal; 8 km/h - 10 kcal. A leisurely climb burns 6 kcal, and intense athletic walking burns 7 kcal. To increase the load, you can pick up small dumbbells or water bottles.
How much should you walk a day to lose weight? Don't expect very quick results. To lose one kilogram of weight, you will need to walk more than 60 kilometers. An hour's walk will help you lose 100 grams of weight. With daily exercises - by 3 kilograms in a month and almost 20 in six months.
You should also adhere to the correct breathing technique: one deep breath for three steps, holding your breath for the next three and exhaling. This will boost your metabolism, which in turn will promote weight loss.
Proper nutrition
You won’t be able to achieve effective results if you forget about controlling your diet. You cannot exceed the daily caloric intake of food. You should take food in small portions several times a day.
You will have to forget about sweet carbonated drinks, fast food, wheat bread, desserts, processed foods and pickles. It is preferable to steam or boil vegetables and meat rather than fry. You need to drink a lot of drinking or mineral water.
How else can you walk
A good way to keep your body in good shape is to walk up the stairs. Refusal to use the elevator normalizes blood pressure and strengthens the leg muscles. This activity burns calories faster than running.
Start of vertical training may cause pain in the calf muscles. With constant loads, the climbs should be made more difficult - put your foot on your toes and step over one step.
You can also train at home. Walking in place is a simple exercise that can easily be combined with evening TV watching. It is important to pay attention to the movement of your hands. They should be no less intense than steps. The process will be simplified by having a treadmill, which allows you to change the level of inclination of the surface.
A person chooses the type of convenient walking training for himself. Walking is simple and effective. This is an affordable means of preserving youth, helping with regular exercise to lose excess weight and normalize the functioning of all internal organs.
Despite various popular methods for losing weight, such as diet systems or intense training programs, walking is still considered one of the best and easiest ways to lose weight. Not only is it very good for your body, but it is very effective at burning calories. Lack of physical activity in daily life, poor lifestyle, unhealthy diet and stress are some of the main causes of obesity.
If you want to get rid of fat in your body and are looking for a working method, then walking a few kilometers every day is one of the best options. You don't know how much walking you should do or whether it will affect your weight? Are you not sure how to train correctly to achieve good results? Read this article. We have accumulated information that you should study before adding walking to your training system.
Does walking really help you lose weight?
The question of whether walking helps you lose weight arises immediately when you think about losing weight by walking. If a person understands the basics that are required to get an excellent result and implements them by setting certain goals, then walking a few kilometers can work wonders.
According to research, it is believed that walking for half an hour for 5 to 6 days is beneficial; 6 minutes of walking (along with diet) provides much more health benefits than following only one weight loss diet for 3 months.
Generally, walking 5 miles every day is considered a routine that can help you lose weight effectively. But will this method work for you? Lack of time and energy may not allow you to do this program on a regular basis. You can replace this with 30 minutes of walking, which is a powerful and viable exercise. You don't need to do it for the whole week, 5 days is enough. There will also be some dietary changes, kind of like icing on the cake. It is not wise to waste your money, time in the gym or on any drugs for a 15 day diet program.
How to exercise for weight loss?
The second very important step in this program is how to walk to lose weight, in what way or method to start walking. It's hard to believe, but it really makes a big difference. There are many factors that determine how many calories you can burn during a 30-minute walk. It is quite possible that one of your friends who walks for the same amount of time loses more weight than you. This is due to differences in your walking speed and body weight.
If you are looking for rapid weight loss, then you should increase the duration and pace of your walking. Ideally, you should move at a pace of 3-4 miles every hour to get the desired results. Walking quickly for half an hour burns about 150 calories a day. Gradually increase your schedule from moderate to intense training and eliminating calories from food in order to achieve your goal. In addition, track your progress and calorie intake - this is very important if you decide to lose weight while walking. You can use a pedometer or tracker for this.
What health benefits does walking have?
Vigorous exercise usually helps in weight loss, but if you don't do it regularly, the results won't last long. The result that made you happy can completely disappear within 2 to 8 months. Experts believe that it is much more beneficial for weight loss than intense workouts. If you walk regularly, you build a healthy body for yourself and become less prone to injury. In addition to this, walking also causes minimal damage to joints and bones compared to strenuous exercise. Here are a number of reasons why you should choose walking to lose excess weight.
Lowers blood pressure
Walking helps dilate blood vessels, which leads to decreased pressure on the walls of blood vessels. This reduces the likelihood of artery and vein ruptures and also eliminates the risk of stroke. In addition, walking reduces the activity of the sympathetic nervous system in people with hypertension or high blood pressure.
Reduces “bad” cholesterol levels
Walking briskly for 30 minutes reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, and increases the production of high-density lipoprotein, or “good” cholesterol.
Increases bone density
Walking is a great way to increase bone density, which is why it is recommended for people suffering from osteoporosis and other bone-related problems. In addition, it also strengthens the muscles.
Maintains body weight
Brisk walking for 15 minutes is an effective method for weight loss. Its combination with a healthy and proper diet will help burn a lot of calories.
Relieves tension and stress
Walking is an excellent exercise for relieving stress. It enhances the production of endorphins, which improve not only physical but also mental health. The presence of endorphins in the body helps release stress, overcome depression or anxiety, and also makes you feel calm.
Develops flexibility
If your goal is not only weight loss, but the development of flexibility, regular walking is a great solution. While walking, the muscles stretch, which increases flexibility. It makes your normal movements calm and safe.
Strengthens the nervous system
Walking barefoot on grass, wet sand or water is a great way to regulate your nervous system. The brain sends signals to the muscles and work accordingly. Walking increases the speed at which these signals are transmitted to the muscles, thereby improving responses.
Prevents problems with the cardiovascular system
It is well known that in order to maintain your health you need to walk. If you walk for 30 minutes every day, it improves blood circulation, improves blood pressure and reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases. When you walk, your heart rate increases, causing it to drop noticeably when you rest. Thus, the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases is reduced.
Regulates insulin production
Walking is very beneficial for people suffering from diabetes. It enhances the body's production of insulin, which fights against high blood sugar levels. If you are not diabetic, then walking prevents the risk of this disease.
Fights signs of aging
If you find some wrinkles and fine lines on your face, then these are signs of aging. They appear when the body stops producing certain hormones that are needed to strengthen muscles. Walking releases hormones that can fight signs of aging. In addition, stress is one of the main causes of signs of aging. This is a great method that will help you look young even after you are young.
How much walking do you need to do to lose weight?
The average person should walk about 2,000 steps per mile to burn 100-150 calories. To find out how much you need to walk in order to lose weight, you need to have a pedometer. This device will help you track the number of miles you walk daily, how many calories you burn and your heart rate. To find out your normal heart rate at your age, you can use a special device known as a heart rate calculator. By following these simple steps, you can speed up your weight loss process.
- Start your workout by walking for 10 minutes at an easy pace.
- When you stop, do some stretching and flexibility exercises.
- Set your target heart rate for walking at a moderate pace for half an hour to an hour.
- After this, walk relaxed at a slower pace for 5 minutes.
- Finish your workout with a few gentle stretches.
- Later, you can increase the duration of your walk. Set your target heart rate and walk for 30 to 60 minutes. Then reduce the speed and increase the duration from 90 minutes to two hours.
Ways to Burn More Calories
If you feel that your walking workout is not producing the desired results, you can enrich it with specific steps that will help you burn more calories and increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome.
Posture
Posture is a very important component to learn when walking. Incorrect posture can negate all the positive effects of exercise. Try to remain level throughout your walk, this will help you move much faster. Keep your spine and neck straight, align your shoulders over your hips, and look forward. This will allow your muscles to work more energetically.
Use your hands
Have you ever noticed how professional runners use their arms? They run with their arms bent. They do this because moving their arms quickly makes them move much faster compared to straight arms. In addition, this hand position does not slow down the pace and burns more calories. Your elbows should be bent and your palms should be facing inward.
Use your feet
The function of your feet plays a key role in determining how efficiently you walk. Proper ankle movements are more precise and allow you to walk faster. Concentrate on landing in the middle of your feet and “roll” on your toes, lifting your foot off the ground.
Reducing steps
Another way to lose more weight is to simply take fewer steps, but faster. It is recommended to walk about 2,000 steps for every mile. This changes the speed, resulting in calories being burned faster. Start with 80-100 steps per minute, then try to reduce the result by a few seconds from the last time and count 100 steps again. Repeat this method 10 to 12 times.
Use walking poles
This type of walking is an excellent choice if you want to make walking more efficient and comfortable. It is also very good for your blood pressure and oxygen consumption, improves the quality of life of many people with certain diseases and increases stamina. Poles activate the upper body and help propel you forward. In addition, they increase strength and speed. In addition, poles are great for those who have some kind of leg injury.
Set a goal for yourself
Setting a goal is another important part to achieve your walking goal effectively and quickly. As a target, you can choose a stop sign, a bench or a tree. Encourage yourself to reach the place you have chosen. You may also slow down if you feel that you cannot reach your goal.
Skip the slopes
If you think that inclines help you lose excess weight faster when running, then you are wrong. Flat terrain is much more rewarding than uphill and downhill terrain. Additionally, walking on inclines places a lot of pressure on the knees and can lead to premature osteoarthritis in young people. Thus, one should prefer to walk on smooth roads.
Increase your level
Walking at a normal speed will only be effective for beginners. In addition, you should walk at the same speed for no more than 3-4 days. After that, start increasing your speed, which will help you burn more calories. Walking at an increasing speed for 30 minutes helps you burn about 160 calories, while running at a moderate pace burns 215 calories.
Add strength exercises
You can accompany your walk with several physical exercises. This will allow you to lose excess weight faster. After walking for 5 minutes, stop for a minute to do some exercises like lunges, jumping jacks, squats, knee raises and push-ups. This combination will help you quickly say goodbye to extra calories in the shortest possible time.
Points You Should Keep in Mind When Walking for Weight Loss
- Instead of escalating your gait, keep your lead leg closer to your body and push forward with more force.
- If your goal is to walk at a fast pace, avoid overstepping.
- When walking, concentrate on making sure your heel touches the ground first and then your toes.
- To avoid sprains from trips and falls, make sure your foot extends away from your center of mass.
- Before each next step, pull all your fingers back. This will prevent muscle fatigue.
- To maximize the efficiency of your walk, pivot at the waist as you walk.
- Keep your shoulders, arms and neck relaxed.
- Your arms should be very close to your body as they swing to increase your speed.
- Do not forget to analyze your progress and results, as this is very important.
Ways to make your walk more efficient and enjoyable
Drink green tea
Green tea has many health and beauty benefits. It not only regulates metabolism but also reduces fat at a rapid rate. It is very useful to use it before and after training. Green tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are beneficial for athletes performing dynamic exercise. Enjoy a cup of tea after your walk to help you lose weight faster.
Prepare a playlist of walking music
Music will motivate you to walk further. Fast music allows you to increase the duration of your workout. In addition, research shows that listening to music has a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system and reduces the stress response. Thus, music relieves tension that arises during a walk or workout.
You can prepare a list of tracks that will motivate you to make extra efforts and achieve your goal as soon as possible.
Friends support
Moral support is very important when you are trying to achieve something like weight loss. Ask one of your friends to accompany you on your walk. Not only will your buddy challenge you to try harder, but you will also be able to compete with him or just laugh. According to some studies, laughter is believed to keep your heart rate up. Additionally, it is said that 10 to 15 minutes of laughter can burn about 45 calories.
Choose the right shoes
The most important thing in clothes for walking is your shoes. Make sure it fits well for comfortable walking. If you are walking on level ground, wear flexible, lightweight, low-heeled shoes or boots that will prevent you from tripping as you move from side to side.
Early morning walk
Any exercise is more beneficial if done early in the morning, as it lowers blood pressure and improves sleep quality at this time. At this time, there are not many calories in the body, so walking can burn more fat.
Glycogen levels decrease in the body during sleep, and fat becomes the only source it can use while walking.
Drink water
If you want to reduce your weight at a faster rate, increase the amount of water you drink. Research shows that water helps you burn more calories. A person who consumes more water than usual can burn a lot of calories. Thus, by drinking more water, you can get better results.
Note: If you want to lose weight, you should avoid certain drinks that are high in calories and sugar.
Choose the right coating
It is believed that walking on grass burns more calories than walking on a piste, and walking on soft sand can increase your calorie burn even further. Choose the area depending on the capabilities and purpose.
Use extra weights
If you feel that walking is too easy for you now, start adding additional weight to your body. You can fill the bag with sand and use it as a backpack. Do not use weights on your arms or legs as they may cause injury.
Note: This method is contraindicated for older people because it can lead to high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease.
Avoid sports drinks
Stay away from drinks containing caffeine as it increases fluid loss from the body. This can lead to dehydration. When you feel dry throat, it is better to opt for healthy drinks such as coconut water, lemon iced tea, etc.
Eat almonds
A low-calorie diet that includes almonds will help you lose weight faster. If you want to burn calories, almonds are a great way to accompany your workout. It contains special elements that regulate insulin levels in the body.
Practice arm swings
If you want to get great results from your walk, you must work well with your hands. This will not only speed up the pace, but will also keep your arms toned. First of all, walking with arm swings will have a much greater effect than normal walking.
Calculate your walk
Entering an account of your walk is a good idea. This will stimulate you and increase your efficiency every day. Record the distance traveled and duration. Also remember to measure your weight every week.
Avoid hunger strike
If you are working hard to burn calories, then you must plan your diet wisely, it must be full of vitamins. Such food fuels the body, reduces the breakdown of proteins, increases its synthesis, as well as the strength of your muscles. Eating the right foods really does have a positive effect on your walking.
Avoid overeating
If you think that after active walking for 1 hour, you can eat whatever you want at night, then you are mistaken. Avoid this. It is possible that if you are a beginner, you will feel the need to eat more often. Try to avoid high-calorie foods while remaining physically active.
Methods for Incorporating Walking into Your Daily Routine
Apart from your morning walk, you can include some unusual walking occasions to burn more calories. Here are some ideas you can use to reach your goal faster.
Walks to nearby facilities
If you have to visit the nearest store or garden, avoid traveling in public transport. Prefer to walk these short distances. For convenience, you can mark all such places near your home on the map.
Walking to supermarkets
If you train hard to get in shape, you like to shop at the supermarket. This is not only a healthy task, but also an enjoyable one. You can also accompany your friends if they need to buy something.
Return walk
You can try changing your usual route from home to nearby places. Although such routes may be longer, one way or another, it will be useful for you. In this you can see something new that will lift your spirits.
Use a walk at work
If you want to discuss something with your team, then instead of having a boring meeting in the conference room, go out with your colleagues into the fresh air for a pleasant conversation while walking.
Walk under the rain
Don't miss the chance to walk in the rain. It lifts your mood and also burns a certain amount of calories.
Mini walks
If you have a busy work schedule, try to be active and find time for short walks, such as walking with friends or family after lunch. This will boost your metabolism and be good for your health. Plus, it will also help you burn more calories.
Park and walk
If you are planning to remove excess weight from your body, then it is time to deceive yourself. Park your car as far as possible from your destination, which will give you extra distance to reduce body fat.
How many steps a day should a person walk to be healthy? A fairly common recommendation is to walk at least 10,000 steps daily. Can you afford a hamburger if you have walked these 8 kilometers? Should people who are accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle follow this standard? How did this “norm” even appear and is it time to change it? Let's try to figure it out.
“It all started with the Tokyo Olympics in 1964,” explains Professor Catherine Tudor-Locke, who studies motor activity in LSU‘ s Pennington Biomedical Center. - During this period it was created man‑ po‑ kei, or pedometer. Man means "10,000" ro- "Steps kei- “meter” or “sensor”.
Ten thousand is a "very auspicious number" in Japanese culture, explains Theodore Bastor, a Harvard scholar of Japanese society and culture. “So it’s likely that the 10,000-step challenge was ancillary because it sounded good for marketing purposes.” Regardless of the reason for choosing this particular number, "it resonated with the population at the time, and people started walking around with pedometers everywhere," Tudor-Locke says.
It is important to consider that life in Japan in 1964 was markedly different from our reality in the Western world in 2015. “Daily lifestyles in Japan in the 1960s appear to have been healthier—people consumed fewer calories and animal fats, and used cars much less frequently,” says Bestor. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shows that the average per capita food supply for the Japanese in 1964 was 2,632 kilocalories, while the average American received 3,639 kilocalories in 2011. That's a difference of about 1,000 calories - or, if you're tracking your pace, about 20,000 steps for the average person.
These figures, of course, greatly depend on the territory, social, demographic and many other factors. But this does not affect the essence: it is impossible to say that the Japanese in the 1960s lived in the same “nutrient environment” as we do in 2015.
Nutrition researchers note that 10,000 steps is an overly simplistic number. Scientists agree that there's nothing wrong with walking that much each day, and that it's generally better to walk as much as possible (or be otherwise physically active). But Tudor-Locke notes: “a universal approach does not always work.”
Her work focuses on studying the least mobile categories of Americans (a fairly large segment of the US population), and for such people it is often a challenge to get at least 5,000 steps a day, let alone 10,000. But increasing the number of steps per day from, say, 2,500 , up to 5,000 is a small but important victory for people who don't exercise at all, and it can have significant health consequences.
A large 2014 European study examining mortality among people with different levels of physical activity found that “there was a marked reduction in risk when moving from those classified as inactive to those classified as moderately inactive”—approximately 20― thirty%.
“People who currently get little or no exercise will not benefit from the 10,000 step recommendation. In fact, it may hinder their physical activity, explains Tudor-Locke. “For people who live extremely inactive lives or have chronic illnesses or other health problems, this load can be a huge leap and frightening for them.”
In a country where people eat very unhealthy foods, there is also the possibility that reaching a goal of 10,000 steps a day will allow one to neglect other potentially important health factors, particularly diet. Yes, 10,000 steps is great, but if you buy a hamburger after every 10,000, you'll still gain weight and experience all sorts of nasty, negative health consequences.
So while 10,000 steps is a handy motto and marketing slogan, it may be time to improve upon the daily walking recommendation, given the sheer number of unhealthy people out there and how much they would benefit from just a small increase in their own physical activity.
Although the science of nutrition and exercise is complex, that doesn't mean you should give up. "Stand more than sit, walk more than stand, run more than walk, and run as fast as possible," says Ulf Eklund, lead author of the study on mortality in European populations. Tudor-Locke simplifies this rule even further: "Just move more than before, she says. - Keep moving more than before".
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