How To Burn More Fat While Walking

A lot of people look at walking for exercise as a preamble to running — as if it’s only something you should do if you’re not in good enough shape to run. That is simply not true.

In fact, not only can regular walking reduce your risk of a host of chronic diseases, but it also helps you sleep better, lose weight and tone up. Plus, it’s a lot easier on your joints than regular running.

If your walking routine is not challenging enough, try some of these tricks to make your walks more intense. The result will be more calories burned and more weight lost.

Add in Some Challenging Steps

Lunges and squats are easy to do with little or no equipment — and they’ll help you tone your legs and backside.

Try doing a set of walking lunges from one city block to the next, or adding in a set or two of deep ballet-type squats at the end of your walk.

Better Yet, Add in Real Steps

The secrets to burning more calories while walking all involve adding more intensity. That includes speeding up or adding leg exercises, but it can also include adding inclines.

Before you head out for a stroll, walk or jog up a few sets of stairs at your house or apartment building to help get your heart rate going. If you live near a large hill, make walking up the hill part of your route. Those short bursts of added intensity are a version of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT.

According to the American Council on Exercise, HIIT can help you burn subcutaneous belly fat, boost your metabolism and reduce insulin sensitivity, a condition that can lead to excess fat storage.

For some variety, try hopping up the steps, taking them two at a time, or walking up sideways — all methods of adding variety and challenge to your muscles.

Go For a Full-On Round of HIIT

Climbing steps is one way to add small bouts of intensity. Another one is adding in small bouts of running.

You can walk for the majority of the workout, but every few minutes, launch into a full-on sprint for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Try four rounds to start with, and over time, add more until you’re doing eight rounds throughout your workout.

Make It a Race

You have two ways to go about this. One option is to download a mobile app that tracks your speed, and then to compare your time on a 2-mile walk, for example, with your friends’ times on a course of similar terrain. Some apps will let you send your walking information directly to them.

The other way to add in competition is to race against yourself. Track your speed and try to beat that record the next time you go out. Over time you may even get motivated enough to sign up for an actual race-walk.

And guess what? There’s another great side effect to all of these methods. With all this variety in your walking routine, you’ll also be battling the boredom that tends to derail even the most committed fitness enthusiasts.