Can You Lose Weight By Walking 30 Minutes A Day


Can You Lose Weight By Walking 30 Minutes A Day

Walking is an excellent way to lose weight for many reasons, and if you know, the right way to do it, it will let you achieve your goal in no time. It is easy and enjoyable for most people and is one of the safest exercises.

Can you lose weight by walking? The good news is YES! You can! A 30-minute walk is enough to lose weight when you include eating a healthy diet. Changes in diet and walking consistently will lead to weight loss.

Many people can stick to walking for the long term, which is an essential part of weight loss and maintenance. All you need to do is set goals, understand the fundamentals, and keep going.



Can You Lose Weight By Walking 30 Minutes A Day?

Can You Lose Weight by walking

Yes! Definitely! As mentioned earlier, walking for 30 minutes a day is a great way to keep extra pounds off and help you lose them.

But an important thing to consider is that walking is not the best option for weight loss. The reason is that it doesn’t burn a high number of calories as compared to other physical activities. If you plan to lose weight by just this method, it will take a little longer, and you will need to look after your calorie intake.


What’s Your Diet?

Every human needs some energy to sustain the functioning of body organs and perform daily activities. This is (BMR) Basal Metabolic Rate. BMR of a person depends on age, gender, body weight, height, activity level, and genetic condition. Limit your energy intake to 80 percent of your BMR. 

Diet control doesn’t mean going for a crash diet. Rather create a balanced diet consisting of 50 % of calories from carbohydrates, 25% from proteins, and 20 % from fat and dairy products.

Make sure to have the required amount of vitamins and minerals in your daily food. Develop a habit of eating an adequate quantity of leafy, green, and fresh vegetables. Add fruits to your diet and drink at least 8 cups of water daily.


Walking for 30 Minutes

You will surely see the results of weight loss from walking 30 minutes a day. Walking for 30 minutes can burn up to 200 calories depending on your body weight and speed.

Walking is a low-impact exercise, so you can do it frequently. If you are a beginner, start walking four times a week for at least 30 minutes. 

For maximum results, increase the frequency to six times a week. Try to take breaks and intervals between walks, and walking on alternative days is advisable.

It is not essential to do your 30 minutes at once to see the results. You only need to complete your walk in 30 minutes. According to research, three 10 minute walking sessions give you exactly the same benefits as one 30 minutes continuous session. 

If you don’t have much time, you can divide your 30 minutes to even shorter chunks. No walk is short as long as you are achieving your target.


Add Variety to Your Walk

A better way to walk and not to get bored is to take your friend, family, baby, or dog along with you. If you have a baby, take them in a stroller and push the stroller along with you. This push will add resistance to your walk and will help you burn more calories.

No matter what, it’s important to be consistent with your 30-minute walk, for at least five days a week. With time you will see the powerful effects of this on your weight-loss goals. If you want to see immediate results, add strength training and a proper diet to your routine.


Here are a few ways through which you can burn more calories with a 30 minutes walk.

  • Try to add some changes in incline such as hills. This will increase the number of calories you burn.  
  • For improving your weight loss, add a few short power intervals. A few faster steps will show great results. Walk at high speed for 1 minute and then slow down for 40 seconds. Continue this process for your 30-minutes walk.  
  • To keep your body challenged, all you need to do is change your direction or reverse it. This change in direction provides the much-needed boost and variation.  
  • Add short running intervals. Running a little during your walk will have tremendous effects on your weight loss. You can add as short as 10 seconds and as long as 1 minute running intervals. 

Variation is the key during your weight loss journey. As your body becomes stronger, look for more challenges, and keep pushing your body even harder. Your body works like a smart machine; if you don’t change, it will stop changing.


Calories Burned During 30 Minute Walk

Calories Burned During 30 Minute Walk

Walking benefits your health in several ways. Make walking a daily habit, and it will help you in so many ways. It helps fight off weight gain, releases feel-good endorphins, increases circulation, regulates blood sugar, makes you feel interested in staying healthy, can bring awareness to eating habits, and the list can go on.

The number of calories burned during a minute, 30 minutes, or an hour depends upon different factors such as age, body weight, gender, speed, physical fitness and muscle mass, time duration spent on walking, inclines, and intervals during the walk.

The table below will help you understand how many calories you burn during walking, depending on weight, speed, and time.


Calories burned during the 30-minute walk:

Time and speed 125-pound person155-pound person 185-pound person
Walking: 3.5 mph (17 min/mi)120149178
Walking: 4 mph (15 min/mi)135167200
Walking: 4.5 mph (13 min/mi)150186222
Walk/Jog: jog <10 min.180223266
Race Walking195242289
Operate Snow Blower: walking135167200

This information might not matter, but it is definitely crucial for someone walking for weight loss. There are multiple ways to find the number of calories burned; you can check it in the above table, find it using pedometer step apps, or use calculators for calories calculation available online.

You can burn more calories in a set time period by adding a few changes. Going faster is one way to increase the number of calories burned.

You can improve your walking speed in many ways, such as the use of arm motion, improvements in posture, and changes in walking pace. In this way, you will cover more distance in less time that leads to more calories burnt.

As mentioned above, the number of calories burned depends on weight and walking pace. Here are simple rules that can give you a rough idea.


Walking at a speed of 4 mph for example can help you burn the following number of calories at this pace. 

  • If you weigh 120 lbs, you will burn 4.7 calories
  • If you weigh 140 lbs, you will burn 5.5 calories
  • If you weigh 160 lbs, you will burn 6.3 calories
  • If you weigh 180 lbs, you will burn 7.1 calories
  • If you weigh 200 lbs, you will burn 7.8 calories
  • If you weigh 220 lbs, you will burn 8.6 calories

If you wish to lose 20 pounds by just walking, you need to burn 250 extra calories during your daily walk. To find your walking speed, it’s better to walk on a treadmill to give you all the details about your pace, calories burned, and how much time taken.


Why Do Those Over 50 Lose Weight by Walking?

Why Do Those Over 50 Lose Weight by Walking_ (1)

It is comparatively easy for older people to gain and keep weight. Older adult’s health is often neglected, and extra weight can cause many health issues.

Therefore, it is important to find a walking place where you can easily shed off some extra pounds. This can be anywhere, an inside track, or just walk around your neighborhood.

Another essential thing is to track your weight loss when you began walking. It will help you stay motivated and make you keep walking regularly.

Losing weight and maintaining is not easy at any age; however, committing to a regular vigorous walk for women over 50 can help kick their metabolism into high gear. Adding a daily walk to your diet plan may help you lose more weight quickly.

One study says, “walking has been scientifically linked to further health benefits. Researchers at Harvard who study genetic links to obesity have found that one hour of walking a day cuts the effects of 32 obesity-promoting genes in half.” (thecaregiverspace.org)


Weight Lose By Walking 30 Minutes

Weight Lose By Walking 30 Minutes_

This article is written to identify if walking for 30 minutes is beneficial for reducing weight.

Walking is such a simple activity that people, especially those hoping to burn extra calories, tend to enjoy it. The amount of calories burned by walking depends upon various things, particularly your mass and walking speed.

A normal pace of walking is 3 mph. An overweight person with a high-speed walk is prone to burn more calories.

Besides that, many other factors will influence the number of calories burned when walking for 30 minutes. Here’s a list of a few things to consider. 

  • The climbs in the landscape
  • Walking outdoors versus walking indoors
  • What the temperature is where you walk
  • How old you are
  • Your gender

Daily walking for 30 minutes can assist you with consuming calories and, thus, you may get thinner over time. 

Research proves that a daily brisk walk for 6 months helped women of moderate weight reduce 17 pounds or 10% of their previous weight.

These women gradually expanded their walking span over half a year until they were walking 1 hour daily. Although, effective weight reduction wasn’t reached until they walked for 30 minutes every day. This outcome demonstrates that the time spent on walking is interrelated with weight reduction.

Depending on diet and exercise, you might lose 1-4 pounds each month. If you didn’t change your diet and just walked regularly at a slow pace for 30 minutes, you would probably be closers to losing about 1 pound a month. Those who watched their diet and walked more vigorously could lose 4 pounds a month.


30 Minutes Walking Combined with Your Diet

30 Minutes Walking Combined with Your Diet

Though walking alone can help you get more fit, it’s significantly more compelling when coupled with a controlled calorie diet plan. A 12-week study was conducted where overweight individuals reduced their calories intake by 500–800 each day. 

One group of individuals walked for approximately 3 hours a week at 3.7 mph. In contrast, the other group didn’t walk at all.

While the weight loss was seen in both groups, the effect was seen larger in the walking group as they lost about 4 pounds more than the one who didn’t walk. Strangely, weight reduction may likewise be impacted by if you walk regularly or not.


Another 24-week study was conducted that looked at how overweight women reduced their calorie consumption by 500–600 per day. They walked actively for 50 minutes every day or did two sessions of 25-minute walking every day.

The individuals who performed the two shorter exercises daily reduced 3.7 pounds extra than those who completed 50 minutes of nonstop walking. However, other experiments show no effective difference in weight reduction among persistent and irregular walking.

Hence, you have to pick whichever regimen suits you, as different studies show that walking helps weight reduction, particularly when coupled with a drop in calories.


How Many Months Does It Take?

How Many Months Does It Take_

This question cannot be answered in a number or single sentence because weight loss is a journey. The time it takes to lose weight depends on several factors such as a balanced diet, portion control, exercises including walking, running, swimming, cycling, and strength training.

The best way to reduce and sustain weight is through diet control and exercise, including walks. Focusing on a proper and balanced diet with appropriate portions brings an immense impact of 70 to 80 percent of a person’s weight loss.

However, enhancing your activity level by adding any form of exercise or adding a morning walk to your routine can help you reduce weight and burn more calories in less time.

Diet and exercise are the perfect pair for getting all the machinery in your body working in a proper manner, and helping you to stay healthy.


Make a plan for your exercise regimen. Add a medium-paced 30 minutes morning walk, followed by 15 minutes running, a suitable yoga and stretching, or swimming or cycling in this regimen.

Losing 3500 calories helps you to reduce weight by one pound. You could aim for reducing 4 lbs per month if you make changes to diet and exercise.

Many people will find they can achieve their ideal weight goals in a timely manner by doing consistent exercise and making a few changes to their diet. So, if you can get into these habits or exercise and diet, you may be able to lose about a pound a week.  


The weight loss journey requires commitment, patience, perseverance, and discipline. It is a structured way of changing your lifestyle and habits for the long term. You may start to see weight loss and how your body is becoming fit. You may feel happier and healthier.

To give you a rough estimate, to lose 1 pound per week will need 20 weeks to lose 20 pounds. Weight loss at this pace is safe and keeps the weight off for the long term because you have established a pattern.

To achieve this, try to burn 300-500 calories per day by walking. If you are unable to accomplish this by just walking, try to reduce your calorie intake.

  • Beginner: walking for 30 minutes daily at 2.5 miles per hour would burn 100 calories.
  • Intermediate: walking for 30 minutes daily at 3.5 miles per hour would burn approx 150 calories.
  • Advanced: walking for 30 minutes daily, at 4.5 miles per hour, would burn 175 calories.

1 pound fat is about 3,500 calories, so it would take roughly two weeks of walking for 30 minutes each day to burn enough calories to lose weight.

This number of calories would be for a walker at 4.5 mph; it might take a little longer for the other two levels. Although focusing on your diet and portion control can speed up the process.

To further minimize the time, you can add strength training to your routine. This may boost the process and reduce the time taken to lose weight. Strengthening exercises will help you increase fat loss and, in turn, reduces belly fat.


Other Reason to Walk 30 Minutes a Day

Other Reason to Walk 30 Minutes a Day

Walking is an amazing activity for those who want to reduce their weight. Everybody should consider it for 1 hour, as it helps in weight reduction and gives other medical advantages. If you start your day with a walk, it will keep you energetic for the rest of the day.

Outdoor walking brings you more energy. According to research, people taking a 20 minutes outdoor walk are more energetic than those who have a 20 minutes indoor walk. 

Walking is a best practice for muscular strength. Start walking with a mild speed and change your routine by using stairs, climbing hills, or running on a treadmill.

Walking is probably the finest solution for joint swelling and joint soreness. Walking supports the muscles that secure the joints, empowering both the muscles and the joints. Walk pumps blood to all the parts of your body, helping bring nutrients to your muscles and joints, and helping to remove toxins. 


Scientifically, it is proved that walking helps reduce aches and soreness caused by joint inflammation or aging joints.

Yes, it still hurt to walk, but you will feel better, both physically and emotionally, and your joints will feel better. Furthermore, with no or less pain, you will have a better ability to move and have flexibility.

Outdoor walks help you in building up immunity as compared to indoor. The active body and strong immune system you are developing through a walk will help you stay protected from other common illnesses like cold or flu.

Walking helps you to develop great mental precision and enhances your capability to stay focused. A recent study shows that people who are above 50 years of age and maintain their daily morning walk routine have improved brains’ cerebral activity rather than those who stay inactive.

A walk in the morning gives a boost to your creativity. If you walk in the open during the early morning, it increases the brain’s problem-solving capacity. You feel fresh the whole day and make better choices.

If you start the day with a morning walk, then all day, your body remains active, and it helps you have a good sleep at night. This statement is shown in a study in 2017; the study was conducted on people between 55 to 65 years old who had mild insomnia or difficulty sleeping.


There are numerous other advantages of walking, particularly when you walk different times in a week for 30–60 minutes. These impacts include: 

• Minimizes LDL (Bad) Cholesterol

• Maximize HDL (Good) Cholesterol 

• Enhanced Temper

• Reduced Circulatory Stress

These benefits help reduce the hazards of growing conditions e.g., heart illness, type two diabetes, blood pressure, osteoporosis, and a few forms of cancers.

Walking is an incredible method to enhance and sustain your health. Only 30 minutes of daily walking can raise cardiovascular wellness, strengthen bones, decrease the overabundance of fat, and enhance muscle control. 

30 minutes daily walk, separate from your regular exercise routine, is associated with lower levels of weight gain over time. This is critical because grown-ups tend to gain 1.1–2.2 pounds every year.


Physical movement doesn’t need to be energetic or perform for a long span of time to enhance your health. A study conducted in 2007 has proved that even 75 minutes of low intensive exercises a week, boost health levels considerably compared with a group that did not exercise.

Walking is beneficial for individuals who are overweight, older, or who haven’t worked out in quite a while.

Walking is the simplest exercise that is not subjective to special parameters. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes daily or 150 minutes per week of low intensive exercises. It enhances your temperament, flexibility, and prevents bad body posture.

There are many benefits of walking for the aspiring athlete or those who want to be fit. It prevents routine injuries due to a lack of fitness. Walking is the first step to physical fitness that further inspires more physical activities like running and athletic activities. 

Experts consider walking as a good way to help with recovery for both physical and mental fitness.


Conclusion

Walking is a simple and effective way to lose weight, but you have to be consistent and work for it daily to see results. You will need to take steps every day with a clean and healthy diet to shed some extra kilos.

Proper and balanced will help you to reduce belly fat while walking will help you keep it off. A lot of good comes from walking for just 30 minutes. Don’t think of walking as just burned calories, it is so much more than this.

Walking helps you feel like your best version of yourself, which is a key ingredient to a healthy body and mind. When you reach your goal, your heart will be healthier, and you will look better too.

Thanks for visiting Helpshoe.com


References

  1. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Walking-30-Minutes-Day-Enough-Weight-Loss-46223110
  2. https://www.fitnessblender.com/articles/calories-burned-walking-can-you-lose-weight-walking
  3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities
  4. https://www.inhomecare.com/health-benefits-of-walking-for-people-over-age-50/
  5. https://mariebostwick.com/walk-off-weight/
  6. https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/weightloss/heres-how-long-it-will-take-you-to-start-losing-belly-fat-if-you-walk-every-day/ar- (Page not available)
  7. https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/understanding-weight-loss-how-to-lose-20-pounds-by-walking.html
  8. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/can-you-lose-weight-by-walking-an-hour-a-day#2)
  9. https://www.medicinenet.com/walking/article.htm#what_are_the_top_10_reasons_to_walk
  10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/the-many-benefits-of-walking-30-minutes-a-day/2015/10/19/cf12c938-71e1-11e5-9cbb-790369643cf9_story.html
  11. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/walking-for-good-health
  12. https://www.healthline.com/health/morning-walking-benefits#mind-set
  13. https://www.psychreg.org/walk-30-minutes-a-day/

CHRIS TOOLEY

I enjoy many types of outdoor activities including running, hiking, and walking. I was a former elementary school teacher for 17 years and now enjoy writing and sharing my love of the outdoors.

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