Unlock Walking’s Potential: Burn The Most Calories!

Want to push walking to the limits or just chasing a six pack? Check out what to do to achieve the dream body without breaking much sweat!

Walking as exercise

Walking serves as an excellent and cost-effective exercise option, offering support for weight loss and cardiovascular health improvement.

For those aiming to shed pounds, questions about the number of calories burned during this activity often arise. A single definitive answer cannot be provided, as the calorie burn depends on various factors.

Calories burned while walking

The estimation of calories burned during walking is influenced by body weight and walking speed :

These calculations are based on walking for one hour on flat surfaces, such as sidewalks. A significant increase in calorie burn occurs when walking uphill for the same duration:

Calculator

Many online calculators incorporate more variables than just body weight and walking pace. These tools often apply a formula that considers basal metabolic rate (BMR), influenced by age, height, weight, and other factors, along with exercise intensity (METs) and the duration of activity.

The formula used is:
Calories burned = BMR × METs ÷ 24 × duration (hours)

Examples:

• A 35-year-old individual weighing 150 lbs (68 kg) with a height of 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) and a BMR of 1,437, walking at 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h) for 60 minutes (3.5 METs), would burn approximately 210 calories.
• Another example involves a 35-year-old person weighing 200 lbs (91 kg) with a height of 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) and a BMR of 1,686, walking at the same speed and duration, burning approximately 246 calories.

Ways to Enhance Calorie Burn

Calorie burn during walking can be influenced by more than just body weight and pace. Several strategies can make walking more vigorous and effective:

• Including rolling hills in the route or walking on an incline on a treadmill can boost intensity.
• When maintaining a brisk pace for the entire session is challenging, walking intervals can be introduced. For instance, a warm-up at a 2.0 mph (3.2 km/h) pace can be followed by alternating one minute at 3.5–4.0 mph (5.6–6.4 km/h) with one or two minutes at 2.0 mph (3.2 km/h).
• Increasing the duration of walking sessions can significantly impact calorie burn. When longer sessions are difficult during the workweek, extended walks of an hour or more can be incorporated on weekends.
• Using a weighted backpack or hiking can amplify the effort. For example, a 155-pound (70 kg) individual burns about 267 calories per hour at a moderate 3.5 mph (5.6 km/h) pace on a flat surface. The same person might burn up to 439 calories per hour hiking a more rugged trail with a weighted backpack.
• Gradually integrating jogging into the routine can further elevate the activity level. A walk/jog approach can be tried, starting with a walking warm-up and alternating jogging bursts with walking recovery periods.

Keeping Motivation High

A simple log of walking sessions may be helpful in maintaining motivation. With the use of a pedometer (smartwatch), which calculates steps and distance, the number of steps taken each day can be recorded.

For those walking on a treadmill, details such as time, distance, and pace can be noted in a notebook or Excel spreadsheet. Reflecting on past steps can serve as an excellent source of motivation.

When it comes to choosing a walking route, starting with a loop around the neighborhood may be a good option. Tools such as MapMyWalk can be useful in discovering nearby routes by showing where others walk in the area. Apps that track miles and keep progress organized can also be downloaded to stay on course. Enjoy the journey!

Summary

• Walking serves as an excellent exercise option to burn calories.
• Walking uphill, weighted backpacks or lengthened sessions can dramatically increase calorie expenditure.
• Starting small to create basic habits then expanding those habits is the most effective way to build exercise into our daily routine.