5 proven ways to lose weight by walking

What if someone told you that you could lose weight while being in a great mood and socializing?

It’s one of the many benefits of walking which is not only cost-effective but a very powerful way to shed that extra kilos and boost your confidence.

From fighting off small diseases, seasonal allergies and decreasing lifestyle diseases, walking comes with multiple benefits that last a lifetime and, in some cases, also increase the lifespan of an individual.

A team of scientists from Harvard University conducted an in-depth study involving more than 12,000 people to understand how 32 obesity-related genes impact body weight.

Interestingly, their research revealed that those who engaged in daily brisk walking for approximately one hour managed to reduce the impact of obesity-related genes by a whopping 50 percent.

You do not need to pressure yourself to walk 10,000 steps a day. Instead, you can easily burn 200 to 300 calories by just creating a 30-minute window in your daily routine for walking.

Some of the additional benefits of walking are:

Walking impacts the human nervous system by reducing negative emotions like anger and stress and this can be most beneficial when done in green surroundings with a bit of sunshine. It not only uplifts the mood but also boosts self-esteem and confidence.

Like cycling, it’s important to stick to a certain rhythm while alternating between slow, moderate and brisk speed. It’s important to take water breaks too to ensure that the body becomes cooler. To incorporate intervals into your workout, begin with a three-minute warm-up. Then, for the next 25 minutes, alternate between walking nearly as fast as your maximum speed for one minute and brisk walking for another minute, while focusing on a high intensity. It improves your metabolism leading to faster burning calories!

Decision making skills get more sharpened if you walk regularly in a week as opposed to those who do not walk at all. Brisk walking boosts brain activity and also hone creative thinking skills in a walker! Daily walking also leads to good sleep. When you start walking on a day-to-day basis, the body rhythms adjust themselves accordingly and even hunger pangs reduce drastically.

Deepak Pal, Sports & Functional Nutritionist, SENS Clinic says, “When the health parameters of individuals who did not walk daily were compared with those who did recommended walking, it turned out that the latter were 30 percent less likely to have heart attacks, strokes and other cardiac issues. These were the findings of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.”

There are certain body areas which are always a challenge for most people as they struggle to lose weight here. But consistent walking decreases the percentage of body fat over time and results in a leaner and more toned frame.

Inactivity has never done anyone any good. Therefore, it’s best to invest in walking. The other known benefits of walking include strengthening of muscles and bones, delay in the onset of varicose bone and most significantly chronic and lifestyle related diseases like diabetes are also kept at bay.