You’ve likely heard that walking is a low-impact and accessible cardio exercise that offers many health benefits, such as torching calories, improving cardiovascular health, and boosting your mood. However, the more you do the same walking routine, the more your fitness will likely hit a plateau, and shedding pounds will become more challenging. Fortunately, ETNT has you covered. We chatted with Rachel MacPherson, CPT, an ACE-certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews, who shares the best tips for experienced walkers to lose more weight.
Experienced walkers know that increasing the duration or intensity of your walks isn’t always enough to maximize weight loss. Incorporating these specific techniques into your routine can help you burn more calories, engage different muscle groups, and keep your metabolism humming, allowing you to break through that weight loss plateau once and for all.
Regardless of where you’re at on your fitness journey, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best tips for experienced walkers to lose more weight.
Time it right.
When you walk can significantly impact your weight loss results. Morning exercise, for instance, has been shown to boost weight loss and reduce hunger.
“Morning walks might help you feel less hungry throughout the day, increase your alertness during the day, and improve sleep at night, which is crucial for weight loss, and can even set you up for making healthy choices throughout the day,” explains MacPherson. “Evening walks can help reduce the hormone ghrelin that makes you feel hungry, meaning you’ll naturally eat less and lose weight.”
Use walking poles.
Using walking poles for assistance is a handy and effective way to boost weight loss during your walks.
“Walking poles can work well for anyone, but especially help those with overweight or obesity to improve body composition, blood sugar, and heart health,” says MacPherson. “Research suggests that using poles can get you faster and better weight loss results from your walking program by lowering body fat and increasing your lung and heart health while helping build muscle in your arms and legs.”
Slow and steady wins the weight-loss race.
Believe it or not, research indicates that walking longer at a slower speed can help you lose more body fat than walking faster for shorter durations.
MacPherson explains, “Slower, more intentional walking can lower stress levels and are more enjoyable. Stress can interfere with fat loss, and enjoying your workouts helps you stick to them, meaning you’re more likely to lose weight.”
Add weights for extra calorie burn.
Adding wrist weights to your walks can help you burn more calories without drastically changing your routine. This added resistance helps build upper-body strength while boosting your metabolism. You can even consider incorporating ankle weights as well.
“Wearing or holding weights on your arms can increase calorie burn during your walk, which will help with weight loss,” says MacPherson. “I don’t recommend using ankle weights since they can cause joint issues and muscular imbalances or make trips and falls more likely. Wrist weights can bother some people, so don’t use them if uncomfortable.”
Wear a weighted vest.
Wearing a weighted vest during your walks can significantly enhance your calorie burn while helping build muscle mass in your legs.
“Wearing a weighted vest can increase calorie burn, supporting fat loss. A huge benefit of wearing a weight vest while walking is that it helps burn fat without decreasing muscle mass, keeping your metabolism higher for long-term weight management,” says MacPherson.
Don’t avoid incline walking.
Whether hiking outdoors or adjusting the incline on a treadmill, incorporating incline walking can significantly increase calorie burn and muscle engagement.
“Walking on an incline on a treadmill or up hills instead can help you burn more calories,” says MacPherson. “It can also help maintain muscle during weight loss and keep your metabolism up. Plus, it’s gentler on the body compared to running but burns more calories than walking on flat terrain.”
Incorporate interval training.
Interval training—alternating between periods of high-intensity activity and recovery—is a proven way to burn more calories in a shorter time.
“Incorporating short bursts of running or fast-paced walking into your routine can rev up your metabolism and keep it elevated long after your workout,” MacPherson explains. “Walk-runs are great for beginners as they help burn more calories than walking. They also support healthy sleep and stress levels, which greatly influence weight loss. Sleep and low-stress levels can help you stay motivated and make better choices about food and exercise.”
Add bodyweight exercises.
Adding bodyweight exercises to your walking workout is a surefire way to maximize results.
“When you go for a walk, stop every few minutes or every half mile and do exercises like lunges, pushups, and squats,” advises MacPherson. “These exercises use your body weight, which is better than just walking for losing weight, especially body fat instead of muscle. Doing both types of exercise is a fantastic way to lose fat more efficiently.”
Use music to get into the right headspace.
Listening to music during your walks can do more than just make your workout enjoyable—it can also improve your performance. It could be upbeat music, but anything that gets you fired up while walking can make your walks much more fun and help increase calorie burn.
“An older study found that listening to upbeat boost can boost your motivation to stick to your walks, so you’ll be more consistent and lose weight over the long term,” says MacPherson.
Power walk.
Lace up your sneakers and go on a power walk!
“Power walking is one way to increase the intensity and overall calorie burn of your walks, up to [an approximate] 560 calories per hour,” MacPherson explains. “Walking at a faster pace (about three mph or faster) while swinging your arms incorporates more of your body and demands more from your cardiovascular system. It’s also easier on your joints than running, and it has similar health and weight-loss benefits.”
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