Walk. An act a priori simple, natural, almost automatic. But can this physical exercise, in addition to promoting the maintenance of good health, allow us to lose weight? Yes, answer the specialists! As long as you walk well, the time it takes to pair that activity with a healthy, balanced diet.
10,000 steps a day, the minimum to maintain one's fitness weight
We walk every day: to leave our home, to go to work or to go shopping. Unfortunately, these few steps are not enough to help us lose weight (in the worst case, they make up for the apple you eat at snack time).
The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 10,000 per day to stay in shape, maintain weight and prevent certain diseases. She also estimates that adults aged 18 to 64 years must do at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week (with moderate intensity endurance) or 75 minutes (if intensity is sustained).
When can you slim down when you walk?
To really lose weight while walking, the ideal is to do, at least, a trip three times a week for 1 hour (or more) at a fast pace (between 6 and 8 km / h and at a heart rate of 135 to 160 beats per minute). At this rate, we are already burning about 250 calories per session.
Not enough to work miracles, but it's a good start.
To really lose weight, it is therefore essential to combine brisk walking with a balanced diet and to adapt the inputs to the exits (that is to say, eat less and walk more).
Nordic walking, the slimming activity par excellence
This other form of walking is usually done in clubs and requires the use of poles. A good way to engage the whole body and work more muscle groups.
And the more you are muscular, the more you stimulate your metabolism. Result: the body burns calories continuously, even at rest.
Our tips for losing calories (on a daily basis) while walking
No need to put yourself in the shoes of a great sports for those who just want to maintain their weight of shape walking (or if we lack time in the day and we still want to move a little).
For example, you can go for long walks in the forest on weekends (a good way to get the whole family moving), go to work on foot (or at least go down a few stations before) or go around the pie several times. of house while walking his dog.
It's all about just keeping a more steady pace than a "normal" walk.
The ideal is of course to walk outside, but if you can not, you opt for the treadmill in the gym or at home.
The health and well-being virtues of walking
In addition to losing a few pounds, walking also has many health benefits:
- Improvement of breathing capacities (and therefore tolerance to effort)
- Better blood circulation.
- Joint work.
- Improvement of venous return.
- Muscular strengthening in the lower muscles, upper muscles (for Nordic walking), belly and back.
- Better coordination of movements.
- Prevention of breast and colon cancers.
On your marks. Ready. Walk!
Thanks to Martine Prevost, General Practitioner and Sport, Vice-President of Athletics and Leisure Health and Youth -16 years in the French Athletics Federation.
