Boost the Benefits of Walking for Weight Loss in 60 Seconds or Less—Burn Fat and Build Muscle
You don't need a complicated workout routine or pricey gym membership to see results
Key Takeaways
- Walking can support weight loss, especially when you gradually increase activity over time.
- Short speed bursts, extra steps and micro-walks can make walking more challenging.
- Protein and strength training can help support muscle mass while you work toward fat loss.
Walking is one of the simplest ways to lose weight—you just put one foot in front of the other. But if you’d like your daily strolls to deliver bigger results, a handful of tiny tweaks can make a real difference. The best part? Most of these tricks take about a minute (or less!) to put into action. Here are the small shifts experts and real women swear by for walking for weight loss.
Supercharge walking for weight loss in 60 seconds or less
First things first: You’ll see the biggest long-term health benefits when you pair 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week with healthy eating habits. That said, there are plenty of quick and easy tweaks you can make to your walking routine to boost your weight-loss results. Here’s what experts recommend:
Slip on a pedometer
Before you change a thing, take a few seconds to don a pedometer to get a baseline. “Similar to the way people need to figure out how much to eat by tracking their intake, you should grab a pedometer and then see what your average step count is over the course of a couple weeks,” says Charlie Seltzer, MD, an obesity medicine specialist. “Then gradually try to walk more with a 5 to 10 percent increase.”
That little device may do more than tally numbers. In one study in the European Journal of Sport Science of women given the same diet and exercise guidelines, those who used step counters lost an average of 19 pounds in 12 weeks—six times more than the group without them. Certified personal trainer Stephanie Mansour says racking up 1,000 steps “gives you a hit of dopamine,” the feel-good brain chemical that makes you want to keep going.
Add a 30-second speed burst
A short burst of speed is one of the fastest ways to rev your metabolism during regular physical activity. “If you are walking on a treadmill, simply bump up the speed or incline for 30 seconds and then go back to your normal pace for one minute and repeat 10 times,” recommends Melina Jampolis, MD, host of the podcast Practically Healthy by Dr. Melina.
After a burst of brisk walking for weight loss, your body needs time to downshift, so you keep burning fuel as if you were still going full tilt. A study in Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental found the effect can last up to 10.5 hours. Dr. Jampolis says this kind of training “burns more calories during and for a couple of hours after workouts, so it can be very time efficient.”
Grab a protein-rich snack
Loading up on protein satisfies cravings and provides the amino acids your body needs to build lean, metabolism-revving muscle. Aim for about 1 gram of protein per day per pound of your ideal body weight, spread throughout the day. University of Pittsburgh research found walkers over age 50 slim down more than five times faster on protein-rich diets that spread protein evenly throughout the day.
Try 20 to 30 grams at meals and 10 to 15 grams in between. A scoop of protein powder such as Kyhv Recovery Plant-Based Protein in your morning smoothie is a smart way to start your day. For a quick snack, try a dairy drink—Oikos Pro Shots made with New Zealand grass-fed dairy—packed with 10 grams of protein.
Throw on a weighted vest
This quick trick can instantly supercharge the benefits of your regular exercise routine. Dr. Seltzer notes that “the ultimate goal isn’t to lose weight. It’s to lose body fat. So you have to weight train.” Wearing a weighted vest or backpack on your usual walk, a viral trend known as rucking, works more muscles without adding a single minute to your route.
Download an app
Have 30 seconds? Download an app like WeWard, which rewards people with financial perks and gift cards for walking daily. It’s been shown to boost users’ step counts by nearly 25 percent. “It can be a fun incentive to walk more,” Dr. Jampolis says. No pockets to hold your phone while walking for weight loss? Slip on a SPIbelt Monochromatic Pro, a lightweight fitness belt that keeps your phone secure and handy.
Sneak in a ‘micro-walk’
No time for a full walking for weight loss workout? Sprinkle short walks throughout your day. I-Min Lee, MBBS, MPH, ScD, FACSM, a Harvard Medical School professor, points out that the first 30 seconds of walking burns slightly more energy than the minutes that follow because your body works harder when you first start moving. Quick tricks that make a big difference: Park at the first spot you see, get off the bus one stop early or make separate trips to carry laundry downstairs. “There is a dose-response relationship: Some energy expenditure is good, more is better,” she says.
Say a little prayer
For LaNette Whiteside, who lost 359 pounds, gentle “prayer walks” were the secret. “I don’t push myself, but I do talk to God while I walk,” she says. In one study, women incorporating spiritual beliefs into their fitness efforts tripled their weight loss compared with a non-spiritual group. Spend a minute giving thanks each time you’re walking and you may be surprised by the weight-loss benefits that follow.
The bottom line on maximizing the benefits of walking for weight loss
As you start walking for weight loss, know that bigger results can take some time. That said, you’ll often start to notice changes in your body composition—meaning your muscle mass vs. body fat—sooner than you see the number on the scale drop, especially if you’re rucking or strength training as well. To stay motivated as your body changes, use a smart scale like the RENPHO MorphoScan Lite Body Scan Composition Scale to track your progress over time.
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