Does Walking Help You Lose Weight? (Tips + Walking Plan)

Updated in March 2024

Walking can help you to lose weight if done every day. It is an aerobic exercise, and a brisk walk can burn between 300 and 400 calories in one hour. It is important to walk on a daily basis to achieve optimal results.

When regular walking is associated with a low-calorie diet, weight loss can be further enhanced and faster.

Walking also offers other health benefits, such as reducing cholesterol levels and preventing diabetes. It can be recommended for people of all ages and activity levels, as long as it is done within each person's personal limits. 

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How to lose weight by walking

To lose weight with walking, you should aim for at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, which corresponds to 22 to 43 minutes of walking per day, or 30 to 60 minutes, 5 times a week.

To boost calorie burning, you should walk at a quick pace so that you can reach a fat-burning zone, which corresponds to 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate.

When this zone is reached, you will begin to sweat and breathe more heavily.

Tips for optimizing your walk

There are some precautions that are important to keep in mind, such as:

  • Pay attention to your breathing while walking, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth at a natural rhythm and avoiding holding your breath.
  • Walk on a regular basis.
  • Vary the intensity and speed of walking.
  • Avoid monotony by trying to vary the route. Exercising outdoors is great as it increases energy levels and allows the body to burn more calories.
  • Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for physical activity.
  • Associate pleasure with physical activity through music, for example, making exercise more pleasurable and increasing the feeling of well-being.
  • Exercise your entire body while walking by moving your arms, contracting your abdomen, puffing out your chest and keeping your toes slightly elevated.

Before walking, it is important to warm up your body, preparing your muscles for the activity and avoiding injuries. Your warm-up exercises should be dynamic and can involve jumping and rotating your arms back and forth, for example.

After walking, it is also important to stretch to reduce the risk of cramps and lactate accumulation in the muscles. 

How many calories are burned from walking?

The amount of calories that are burned during walking varies depending on each person's age and weight, and the time and speed of the exercise.

A brisk 1-hour walk can burn between 300 and 400 calories, for example. 

What to eat for weight loss

To promote weight loss, it is important to maintain a diet low-calorie high-fiber diet with lots of vitamins. It should include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and seeds, such as chia and flaxseed, Learn more about the best fruits for weight loss that you can include in your diet.

You should also reduce your intake of fats and sugars, as well as processed, high-calorie foods, like sugary snacks, soft drinks, fast food and processed meats, such as sausages, sausages and bacon.

Also recommended: Weight Loss Diet: Best Foods to Eat, Avoid & Meal Plan tuasaude.com/en/weight-loss-diet

During the walk,you should drink water to maintain your hydration. After walking, you should have a small meal with carbohydrates and proteins, such as low-fat yogurt with banana and oats, or a smoothie with milk and fruit.

4 week walking plan

The following table outlines a 4-week walking plan for losing weight. It is aimed at, strengthening your muscles and preventing injuries. In this plan, you should aim to rest 2 days a week.

  Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Monday

20 min of slow walking

15 min of moderate walking

15 min of slow walking

Total: 50 minutes

10 min of moderate walking

25 min of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 50 minutes

10 min of slow walking

15 min of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

15 min of fast walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 55 minutes

25 min of moderate walking

35 min of fast walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 65 minutes

Tuesday

10 min of slow walking

25 min of alternating between 1 minute of moderate walking and 4 minutes of fast walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 40 minutes

5 min of moderate walking

35 min of alternating between 3 minutes of fast walking and 2 minutes of moderate walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 45 minutes

40 min of alternating between 2.5 minutes of fast walking and 2.5 minutes of moderate walking

10 min of moderate walking

10 min of slow walking

Total: 60 minutes

50 min of alternating between 2 minutes of moderate walking and 3 minutes of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

Total: 60 minutes

Wednesday Rest Rest Rest Rest
Thursday

20 min of slow walking

15 min of moderate walking

15 min of slow walking

Total: 50 minutes

10 min of moderate walking

30 min of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 55 minutes

10 min of moderate walking

15 min of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

5 min of fast walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 45 minutes

30 min of moderate walking

20 min of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

Total: 60 minutes

Friday

10 min of slow walking

20 min of moderate walking

20 min of fast walking

Total: 50 minutes

5 min of moderate walking

35 min of alternating between 3 minutes of fast walking and 2 minutes of moderate walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 45 minutes

20 min of moderate walking

20 min of fast walking

20 min of slow walking

Total: 60 minutes

50 min of alternating between 2 minutes of moderate walking and 3 minutes of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

Total: 60 minutes

Saturday

5 min of slow walking

5 min of moderate walking

25 min of fast walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 40 minutes

10 min of moderate walking

25 min of fast walking

15 min of moderate walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 55 minutes

50 min of alternating between 2 minutes of moderate walking and 3 minutes of fast walking

5 min of slow walking

Total: 55 minutes

40 min of moderate walking

20 min of fast walking

10 min of moderate walking

Total: 60 minutes

Sunday Rest Rest Rest Rest

Be sure to consult your doctor before starting any new training program.