Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health Show
Ready to reap the benefits of walking? Here's how to get started — and stay motivated. By Mayo Clinic StaffCan you really walk your way to fitness? You bet! Get started today. Know the benefitsPhysical activity doesn't need to be complicated. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. For example, regular brisk walking can help you:
The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits. For example, you may start out as an average walker, and then work your way up to walking faster and walking a mile in a shorter amount of time than an average walker, similar to power walkers. This can be a great way to get aerobic activity, improve your heart health and increase your endurance while burning calories. You can also alternate periods of brisk walking with leisurely walking. This type of interval training has many benefits, such as improving cardiovascular fitness and burning more calories than regular walking. And interval training can be done in less time than regular walking Consider your techniqueTurning your normal walk into a fitness stride requires good posture and purposeful movements. Ideally, here's how you'll look when you're walking:
Plan your routineAs you start your walking routine, remember to:
Set realistic goalsFor most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. If you can't set aside that much time, try several short sessions of activity throughout the day. Any amount of activity is better than none at all. Even small amounts of physical activity are helpful, and accumulated activity throughout the day adds up to provide health benefit. Remember it's OK to start slowly — especially if you haven't been exercising regularly. You might start with five minutes a day the first week, and then increase your time by five minutes each week until you reach at least 30 minutes. For even more health benefits, aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Track your progressKeeping a record of how many steps you take, the distance you walk and how long it takes can help you see where you started from and serve as a source of inspiration. Just think how good you'll feel when you see how many miles you've walked each week, month or year. Try using an activity tracker, app or pedometer to calculate steps and distance. Or record these numbers in a walking journal. Stay motivatedStarting a walking program takes initiative. Sticking with it takes commitment. To stay motivated:
Once you take that first step, you're on the way to an important destination — better health. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To
provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our
notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. May 19, 2021
See more In-depth See also
. Will I lose weight walking 30 minutes a day?Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.
Is walking for minutes a day good?Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier. You do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise.
Is walking twice a day good?THE BENEFITS OF WALKING TWICE A DAY
Being sedentary for long periods of time during the day can lead to problems associated with obesity, heart disease, and other health-related illnesses. For this reason, adopting a routine that involves multiple walking sessions per day instead of just one can be beneficial.
Is walking 6km a day good?A GENTLE WAY OF GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE
By walking for 1 hour at 6km/h, you will burn an average of 300 Kcal. By walking regularly at this speed, your efforts will end up bearing fruit and then enable you to accelerate.
|