Walking to lose weight has become a popular strategy for people of all ages, but if you’re like many people you may have a few questions about the actual calories burned walking and how this gets you closer to your weight loss goal.

For example, when it comes to calories burned walking – how long do you have to walk to lose weight?

Walking is a great exercise for anybody who wants to lose weight.

Not surprisingly, many people want to know how long they need to walk and at what speed in order to lose weight.

Calories burned walking and weight – what is the relationship exactly?

But first, you need to understand how your weight and calories relate.

One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories. In order to lose one pound per week, you will need to burn an additional 3500 more calories that week. Simple enough, right?

If you trim back your calorie intake or ramp up your level of activity, you’ll be able to burn these additional calories.

What’s important when you decide to take up walking to help you lose weight is that you start off slow, concentrating more on the distance you travel, rather than the speed. Soon enough, you will be able to increase the speed and your distance.

So what determines the number of calories burned walking?

In order to figure out the number of calories burned walking, the number of miles you walk, your speed and your weight must be taken into account.

For example, if you weigh 180 pounds and you’re traveling at 2.5 mph, then you will burn approximately 98 calories per mile.

At 220 pounds at a speed of 2mph over 5 miles, you will burn approximately 625 calories.

Walking faster means you will burn more calories. Also, the faster you walk, the more you swing your arms, and the bigger strides you take, which helps to burn additional calories.

It’s important you don’t restrict your calorie intake by too much if you choose to take this path for weight loss. Whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake many do, and make your body think it’s being starved to death.

Why “starving” yourself doesn’t work

When your body senses that it is being starved, it goes into “starvation mode”. The next time you eat, your body will automatically store a large proportion of your meal as fat, so that it has an energy store to draw from later. You’ve just told your body to store fat for the next time you plan on starving it of essential nutrients.

These typical yo-yo dieters are everywhere!

Now that you know the number of calories burned walking, it is time to get out there and go for a walk – secure in the knowledge you are creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself.

 

Tags: calories, calories burned, calories burned walking, walking for weight loss, weight loss
Filed under: Fat Loss