Walking can help you reach your weight loss goals—if you do it right. But experts say the secret isn’t just to walk more. Instead, you need to upgrade some of your other habits so that every step you take makes a bigger difference.
“The same things that help your body function at an optimal level are key when it comes to losing weight,” explains Darria Long, M.D., emergency physician and national health expert. That means eating well, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and exercising regularly. “People may think all these good-for-you habits are unrelated, but we have solid evidence that they are interconnected and play important roles in weight loss,” Dr. Long adds.
Walking can help you lose weight by making these other healthy habits work harder. Plus, you don’t need a gym membership to start reaping the benefits. “I love walking as a wellness tool because everyone can do it and you don’t need equipment,” says Denise Austin, a fitness expert and walking superfan. “Good walking shoes and somewhere to do it are all you need.”
Getting strategic about how your walks fit into your overall routine can help you easily and effectively reach your fitness goals. Here are expert tips for walking for weight loss.
Eat Balanced Meals
If you want to lose weight, start in the kitchen. “Nutrition usually accounts for between 70% and 80% of the tangible changes within the body that affect your overall weight,” explains Teddy Savage, C.P.F.T., senior fitness director at VASA Fitness.
Finding the right diet for weight loss doesn’t necessarily mean forgoing your favorite foods. Instead, focus on where you can add more nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body and fill you up. Think: fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean and plant-based proteins, and healthy fats. That said, you should cut down on added sugars and processed foods—two major saboteurs of weight loss and overall health.
Eating this way is the key to healthy, sustainable weight loss. And it has another bonus: It provides the fuel you need to lead an active lifestyle. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water—staying hydrated is also crucial for weight loss.
Walking and Eating Well
Combine your daily walks with these important nutrition tips to get the most bang for your buck:
- Time your snacks to your walks. “Understanding when to eat is just as important as knowing what to eat,” says Savage. Have a healthy snack with protein and carbs—like nuts and a piece of fruit—about 90 to 120 minutes before your walk. “Your body will absorb the nutrients and convert them into usable energy to get you through your workout and help you burn calories and fat,” Savage says.
- Load up on protein. Close out your walk with a protein-rich snack, like a protein shake, yogurt, or cottage cheese. This encourages your body to burn fat instead of muscle.
- Don’t overeat, even when you’re being more active. You don’t need to eat more when you exercise more. Eat regular, balanced meals to keep your metabolism chugging and avoid the excess calories that could counteract your hard work.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial. Studies show that consistently missing out on quality sleep does more than make you grumpy. It can negatively impact your weight-loss efforts—and it can even lead to weight gain by throwing key hormones, like insulin and cortisol, out of whack.
What’s nice? Timing your walks right could actually help your sleep routine. Experiment with taking daily walks at different times, and see which time of day seems to improve your sleep. If you’re able, try to get in a walk at both the beginning and end of the day at least once a week.
Walking and Sleep Habits
Combine a good sleep schedule with these walking tips to reach your weight loss goals:
- Schedule morning walks. Your sleep cycle is largely controlled by your circadian rhythm. And sleep experts say spending about 15 minutes soaking up morning sun can help regulate your internal clock and make your sleep cycles more routine. A few days a week, aim for an early-morning walk.
- Wind down with evening walks. On the flip side, walking at night can also benefit your sleep routine. Dim the lights as you approach bedtime to let your brain know it’s time to wind down, and consider taking a nighttime walk. “An evening stroll an hour or two before bed aids in digestion—another key to better sleep,” Savage says.
Manage Stress
Stress makes everything harder. When you’re stressed, you might engage in unhealthy eating habits or neglect your go-to healthy routines—both of which can lead to weight gain. Relieving stress can also help you prevent chronic diseases that may cause weight gain.
“When people have higher circulating levels of the stress hormone cortisol, it affects where they hold on to fat—such as around the abdominal area, which is especially harmful to heart health,” Dr. Long says.
The good news is that walking can be a boon for mental health. “It helps subdue anxiety, stress, or depression through the release of endorphins—feel-good brain chemicals,” Savage says.
Walking and Stress Relief
Leverage these walking tips to maximize stress relief and lose weight more easily:
- Enjoy some alone time. “Walking is a wonderful way to take your mind off worries and filter out grouchiness,” Austin says. “I think it uplifts your spirit and helps you feel more optimistic, especially when you walk outside in nature.” Viewing your daily walk through this lens can help you carve out much-needed self-care time on a consistent basis.
- Pat yourself on the back. Completing a walking workout is a win, especially if it took some willpower to get out there and do it. “Allow yourself to enjoy that feeling of accomplishment,” says Austin. “It’s good for your mental health, which goes hand in hand with stress relief.”
- Practice mindfulness. “Both walking and being more mindful can improve overall well-being,” says Lindsey Benoit O’Connell, C.S.C.S., meditation and wellness expert. “It’s not about the speed of the walk, but rather how you feel while doing it.” Pay attention to your breathing, your body, and your surroundings on your walks. What do you see, feel, hear, and smell?
Walk
Now that you’ve mastered those other habits for healthy weight loss, it’s time to get active. You need to regularly move your body and get your heart rate up to see the scale move—and walking is a great low-intensity way to help you do that.
Science tells us that regular physical activity, like walking, can be an effective way to reduce body fat—including visceral fat that settles around the midsection and affects hormones, blood sugar, heart health, and more. Plus, walking engages multiple muscles and joints at the same time, so it also improves mobility, Savage says.
Making Your Walks Work Harder
Try these walking tricks to burn more calories and maximize your results:
- Let your playlist set your pace. The faster you walk, the more calories you burn. So finding ways to push yourself harder is important for reaching your goals. Let music guide you between easy and intense intervals. “Create a heart-pumping playlist and walk as fast as you can during the chorus,” Savage says.
- Take different routes. “I switch up my routes to find different terrain,” says Austin. Going up and down hills, navigating curbs, and traversing different surfaces (like pavement, sand, and grass) boosts the intensity of your walks. It also works your muscles in different ways to improve strength, build endurance, and get your heart rate up.
- Weave in other exercises. “A favorite trick is incorporating air punches and jabs—sometimes I’ll carry light dumbbells—to burn more calories and work my upper body,” Austin says. For a blast of lower-body exercise, do a few sets of lunges, squats, skips, or jumping jacks. Recover in between by walking slowly for one block.
- Boost your heart rate. When your heart pumps harder, you burn more calories, says Savage. To find your target heart rate for fat burn and weight loss during exercise, subtract your age from 220. Use a fitness tracker, and push yourself to that heart rate on every walk. Feeling out of breath is another clue that you’re there!