3297: How Much Should You Walk for Weight Loss by Eric Leija on Fitness Level & Goals

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: This is Optimal Living Daily. How much should you walk for weight loss by Eric Leija of erickleija.com

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Justin Malik. This is the show where I usually read to you kind of like an audiobook

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_01]: But on Sundays, I think it's nice to share an episode from a different podcast where we read to you and

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Today's comes from my brother's show Optimal Health Daily

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_01]: If you'd like more about fitness, nutrition, diets and anything health related

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_01]: You can find Optimal Health Daily wherever you get your podcasts

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_01]: You can even submit your own questions and have them answered on Friday editions of the show

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_01]: You can send a health related question to health at oldpodcast.com

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And then listen into that show on Fridays again, that's Optimal Health Daily

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_01]: But without let's get right to the bonus episode as we optimize your life

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: How much should you walk for weight loss by Eric Leija of erickleija.com

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_00]: There's no doubt about it walking is great for your health

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: People that walk even for as little as 15 minutes a day a few times a week

[00:01:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Can enjoy a reduced risk of developing heart disease and diabetes

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_00]: They can also reduce their joint pain and improve their mood

[00:01:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Alongside these many studies have shown walking can also be an awesome aid to weight loss

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_00]: However, a common question on walking for weight loss is how much should we walk?

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Come on a walk with me. Har Har as I break down how you can walk off the pounds

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: walking for weight loss

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_00]: To begin when we talk about walking for weight loss the disclaimer is that one size does not fit all

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Typically when we walk to burn fat, we're walking to burn extra calories

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_00]: How many calories you burn depends on your age your current body weight your height and how long and fast you're walking

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_00]: On average according to various calculators a person can look forward to burning 100 to 300 calories

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: In anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Again, that's a pretty wide range, but at least it gives you a base estimate to start with

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: How long should you walk for weight loss?

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with time

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: It's usually recommended to walk several days per week for at least 30 minutes to see benefits

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're extremely overweight, this may be a good starting point for you

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're moderately active during the day or if your job involves a decent amount of movement

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_00]: You may need to kick this up to 45 minutes up to an hour to see some fat loss

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_00]: The time you spend walking also depends on the type of terrain you're walking on

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: If it's sand or a slightly elevated surface

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: You may be able to walk for less time than if you were just walking on a flat road

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_00]: This is because elevation and uneven surfaces can cause you to burn more calories since you're exerting more energy

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_00]: As a general rule aim for 30 minutes minimum and increase if you're able

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_00]: How to maximize calorie burn while walking?

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: There are a few strategies that can take a normal stroll which may not result in too much weight loss in itself

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And turn it into a potential fat burning session

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_00]: 1. Power it up

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Boosting your speed by power walking can burn many more calories than regular walking

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_00]: So try and push yourself

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Pump your arms and lengthen your strides feel your heart rate kick up

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Try to power walk for as long as possible

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_00]: If you can only go for a few minutes before slowing down

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Keep alternating between periods of power walking and periods of normal speed

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_00]: 2. Add an incline

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're on the treadmill add a few inches of incline

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're outside try to find an elevated road or even a hilly or mountainous area to walk on

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Adding elevation will burn significantly more calories than walking on flat terrain and can also tone your legs

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Focus on pushing through your glutes to get a full leg burn

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Also bonus points if you combine power walking with an incline

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_00]: 3. Hold hand weights

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Holding hand weights even if they're light because you're a beginner can also increase your calorie burn

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_00]: You'll notice that your heart rate will pick up more quickly when you're holding them and pumping your arms

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Heck you can even do bicep curls and overhead presses while you're going

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_00]: What about strength training?

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_00]: On the path to fat loss, I always recommend you start and keep a strength training program going

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Building muscle is critical to keeping your metabolism going strong

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And also helps burn more calories when you're at rest than if you didn't have as much muscle

[00:04:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Again as a general rule, I'd recommend strength training three times a week to start seeing results and to get stronger

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Focus on full body movements and really challenging yourself

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to up the ante try integrating interval training into your regime

[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_00]: This involves alternating periods of high intensity exercise with low intensity exercise

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And is one of the best ways to burn fat

[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_00]: My advice is to start walking at a level you feel comfortable as far as time

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Speed and terrain and then aim to push yourself

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_00]: With a mindset to go a little longer or a little harder each time you're almost guaranteed to see results

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listened to the post titled how much should you walk for weight loss by Eric Lea of ericlea.com

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Neal here for my commentary

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure you've heard different activity recommendations

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_00]: You may have heard that we should get our sweat on at least once a day

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Or to accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity most days of the week

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe you've heard you need to accumulate at least 150 minutes of activity each week

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Or that you should aim to take 10,000 steps a day

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's focus on that last recommendation the 10,000 steps one while that sounds logical

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: That is a nice round easy to remember number. It's a bit arbitrary

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: According to the american college of sports medicine 10,000 steps a day is fine

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_00]: But you can actually meet these exercise recommendations for adults by aiming for around

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_00]: 5,000 to 7,000 steps per day

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I know that for many these lower numbers are a relief because they sound more realistic

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not as intimidating

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_00]: But as eric mentioned if your goal is weight loss you may need to ramp things up a bit

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're using a pedometer and are just starting out build up to 5,000 steps each day make that your first goal

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Then gradually build up to 7,000 then ultimately 10,000

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Then try out alternating speed walking with walking at your usual pace

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Eventually maybe graduate to a light jog followed by walking at your usual pace

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_00]: You never know over time you may end up jogging your 5,000 steps each day

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_00]: That I can tell you for sure would definitely help with weight loss

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_00]: All right that wraps up today's episode. Thank you for listening. Thank you for being a subscriber of the show

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you have a great rest of your day and I'll see you back here tomorrow for another q&a episode and where your optimal life awaits