Walking is one of the simplest, most natural, and effective ways to keep the body in motion. And if your objective is to keep your body healthy, this is one of the main exercises you should perform. However, if what you truly want is to slim down or lose fat, going out for a walk alone may not be enough.
Personal trainer Juan Antonio Martín, an expert in weight loss, has taken on clarifying this topic, explaining that although walking is an excellent activity, strength is fundamental for goals of this kind to be achieved.
The Real Impact of Walking
According to the expert, to lose a kilogram of body fat, our body needs to burn about 7,000 calories more than it consumes through food; in other words, it must expend far more energy than what is ingested throughout the day. That is why, although stepping out for a walk can help in that energy-expenditure process, it must be acknowledged that this alone cannot be enough; especially when you want to lose a substantial amount of weight. According to trainer Juan Antonio Martín, a person burns between 250 and 300 calories per hour of walking, though this depends on weight, terrain, and pace. This means that to lose one kilogram of fat just by walking, you would have to walk between 25 and 28 hours in total. Therefore, although walking is great for staying active, it will not produce major changes on its own. Additionally, note that this refers to walking at a brisk pace that raises your heart rate, not a leisurely stroll window-shopping.
The Mistake of Doing Only Cardio and the Key to Strength
One of the problems with focusing exclusively on cardio exercises, such as walking, is the long-term impact on the body. “Doing only cardio will cause you to lose muscle and stall,” notes Juan Antonio Martín. “What you need is to combine it with strength training.”
These kinds of workouts in which the muscles stay active are the ones that allow you to preserve muscle mass over the long term, and when combined with cardio that is when fat begins to be lost in a proper way. Conversely, basing the routine solely on cardio accelerates the plateau and favors muscle loss.
Why You Cannot Choose Where to Lose Fat
When pursuing a physical change, everyone tends to want to lose fat from specific areas, such as the abdomen. However, science and professionals remind us that this is not possible. In fact, pharmacist María Casas has noted that even if one desires to lose fat from a particular area, what must be done is to work the body at a “global level”, since even with extensive training you cannot select the exact zone where fat will be lost. That is why she herself makes it clear: “Doing 200 repetitions of sit-ups every day will not make you lose abdominal fat.” What you truly need is to establish a caloric deficit and mix exercises that train the entire body with cardio.
Consistency Is Essential
The weight loss is the result of the combination of multiple factors: nutrition, movement, rest, and stress control. There is no need to obsess over piling up hours of training. When choosing which activity to do, the rule that never fails is continuity: “The most effective exercise for losing weight is the one you can keep up over time.”, concludes Martín.
