Can You Walk Your Way to Weight Loss?
Whether you’re walking your dog, walking to work or taking an after-dinner stroll, walking is a step (literally) in the right direction for your health. Especially if weight loss is a goal. Plus, it doesn’t require any expensive equipment, and you can do it almost anywhere.
As effective as walking is for weight management, there isn’t a one-step-fits-all equation. While you might have heard that 10,000 steps per day is the magic number for health, it’s not necessarily the amount everybody needs, says Chrissy Carroll, M.P.H., RD, CPT, a certified personal trainer, running coach and owner of Snacking in Sneakers. “The 10,000-step goal was actually an arbitrary number that came from a marketing campaign from an early pedometer,” she says. “While research has noted that among those who have lost significant amounts of weight, most do get an average of 10,000 steps per day, other studies have shown health benefits can occur at lower step amounts.”
When it comes to walking for weight loss, it may be more helpful to focus on the amount of time you move than on the number of steps you take. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, like brisk walking, plus two additional days of muscle-training activities, such as weight lifting or resistance band workouts.
Excerpted from EatingWell
