10 Ways to Turbocharge Your Weight Loss With Brisk Walking
If you're striving to lose weight, we have some advice: Increase your pace and start brisk walking! Here are expert tips to help you walk faster and enhance your weight loss efforts.
Walking daily is a fantastic way to burn calories. Walking faster in a given time frame will definitely help you reach your weight loss goal quicker. For example, a person weighing 155 pounds can burn about 133 calories walking at 3.5 miles per hour (mph), while increasing the speed to four mph can burn 175 calories for the same individual.
"Speed walking (or power walking/brisk walking) is a great form of medium to high-intensity cardio that is less high-impact and less fatiguing than running," explains Kate Meier, NASM-CPT from Garage Gym Reviews. "Keeping your overall fatigue lower when you're eating at a caloric deficit to lose weight is ideal if you want to have sustainable, long-term success."
With that said, let's dive into expert tips to boost your weight-loss journey with brisk walking. So, put on your sneakers, and let's begin!
First and foremost, establish your baseline.
Meier recommends determining your baseline. Warm up by walking for five to 10 minutes, then time yourself as you walk a mile several times to find your average walking speed and heart rate.
"Check your heart rate at the end of the mile by taking your pulse," she explains. "You can also use an app and fitness tracker for this."
Practice correct form.
Focus on maintaining proper posture during your brisk walks. This can help increase your speed by up to 0.5 to 1 mph, according to Meier. It can also shave off around two to four minutes from your mile time!
Don't overstride.
Make sure you don't overstride. Meier advises, "Use a good stride, rolling through each step from heel to toe and pushing off from the trailing foot. Avoid the mistake of overstriding, which is common among people trying to walk faster."
Incorporate speed-building techniques.
After a good 10-minute warm-up, alternate between walking fast for 30 seconds or 200 meters, followed by walking comfortably for two minutes. Repeat this cycle eight to 12 times, and then cool down with an easy-paced stride for 10 minutes.
Include strength training.
