Does Walking Help you Lose Weight?

Walking has become one of the most popular cardiovascular activities of late, which isn't really surprising considering that it is simple to execute and easy on the pocket. The number of people resorting to walking for physical fitness is soaring by the day. At the same time, many people also resort to this activity for weight loss.

But does an activity as simple as walking really contribute to weight loss? Well, it does help you lose weight, but the effectiveness of the same depends on several other factors, including your body metabolism, calorie intake, and the method of walking you choose.

While several health enthusiasts claim that you can lose weight by walking, critics are not quite impressed by these claims. There can be no specific yes or no answer for this question, as the effectiveness of walking, when it comes to weight loss, will differ from person to person.

The three underlying factors that come into play in this case are:

• Metabolism rate
• Calorie consumption
• Correct method of walking

Besides these factors, your discipline also has a crucial role to play. Going for a walk once in a while won't be of any help for your health, forget about helping you burn unwanted fat stored in the body.

One has to understand that there is a huge difference between walking for fitness, or weight loss, and strolling after a heavy meal or just because you don't have anything else to do. In order to shed those extra pounds, you need to resort to power walking. You need to walk quickly and that too, for a longer duration.

Weight loss basically means getting rid of that extra fat accumulated in the body. In order to get rid of this fat, you need to resort to exercises that don't leave you exerted within a few minutes.

The logic is simple: instead of doing rigorous exercises, which cause exertion, for a lesser duration, you do simple exercises which don't cause exertion, for a longer duration. By indulging in simple fat burning exercises for a longer duration, you will burn more fat. The same logic is followed when it comes to walking.

That being said, you also need to take into consideration the fact that resorting to the right method of walking is very important, as it helps enhance its effects on your body.

For instance, walking at a speed of 4 mph for a duration of half an hour can help you burn more calories than walking at a speed of 2 mph for the same duration. Calories burned by walking at this speed will range 300 - 400 depending on the weight of the person.

Walking also helps boost your metabolism and ensures that the food you consume is processed properly. You also need to keep a tab on your diet when you are working your way towards weight loss goals. Limited calorie intake, minus unsaturated fats, does play a crucial role in losing weight by means of walking.

While walking is no doubt effective, there do exist other activities which are more effective than walking. However, they also demand more investment and a serious commitment on your part.

If you are having ample time and money to spend, you can join a gym and undergo weight loss training under the guidance of a professional trainer. If you can't afford to devote that much time for such rigorous activities, you can resort to simplest means of them all―walking, for an hour every day.