Here are the main myths and truths about whether walking slims you down, and find out how to lose weight by walking, with several tips!
If you are looking for physical activity to lose weight and have been wondering if walking slims you down, it’s a sign that you still need to find out more about this exercise. This aerobic activity is perfect for burning calories. However, it has a certain form and regularity for this goal to be successfully achieved.
Walking is a democratic activity. In other words, anyone can do it, as long as they respect their limitations, whether they are physical or related to some aspect of their body’s health. In this way, many short-term benefits are obtained, such as having more disposition, gaining stamina, improving blood circulation, ensuring a healthier life.
However, many people who want to walk to lose weight should know that this result is not achieved overnight and in any way. Below, we bring in this post, the truths, and myths about whether walking loses weight. Check it out.
Does walking really make you slim? Top tips to start walking
To start walking with the guarantee of good results in losing weight and protecting your health, you should pay attention to some points. After all, any physical exercise has its correct way to be performed, being necessary to know the basics so that you have a lot of benefits and pleasure from walking.
Therefore, take a look at the main tips on how to lose weight walking, the best way:
- Prefer walking in flat and quiet environments: straighter surfaces, environments with trees and without the noise of vehicles, help you relax and enjoy the activity better, generating a good stimulus to continue;
- Start slowly: there is no point in wanting quick results, start by walking at a slow pace and for less than 20 minutes. When you gain endurance, increase the frequency;
- Drink plenty of water: before, during and after walking, a bottle of water should always accompany you, to take small sips and ensure hydration;
- Wear appropriate clothing: wear light, breathable fabrics and wear comfortable walking shoes; if it is sunny, wear a cap and sunscreen;
- Control your breathing: breathe through your nose and let the air out through your mouth; it is necessary to perform well, not feel tired or have difficulty breathing.
What are the myths and truths about whether walking makes you lose weight?
Some “absolute truths” always accompany the world of physical activities and sports. But you have to find out if they are true or if they are pure myths. Once you know what works and what doesn’t, you will know how to lose weight by walking.
Walking slims the legs
Myth.
This is a myth that some people insist on stating. The reason is that these people believe that by walking and losing weight, the legs, which are naturally thinner than other parts of the body, will “dry out.”
What happens is just the opposite. Walking helps to increase the tone of the legs, making the muscles of the lower limbs stiff, i.e., hard and turned out.
However, the gains are not immense only after a few months of walking the right way, this effect is noticed by the practitioner.
Fast walking makes you lose weight faster.
This is true.
However, this practice is not recommended due to health risks, including accidents during the activity. Therefore, see the dangers involved.
Fasting, whether intermittent, every other day or for a few hours, reduces calorie reserves in the body. With this, your body’s energy drops, making you less willing at that time.
Therefore, walking demands energy from your body because it will burn calories during the activity. Therefore, walking fast can cause your body to have a rapid energy drop, leading to muscle fatigue, with extreme tiredness or hypoglycemia.
The second case is even more dangerous to health. Because, in case of hypoglycemia, the person may faint, feel unwell, need medical help, or even fall during exercise and injure himself seriously.
Walking more than one hour only once a week causes weight loss.
Myth.
This is a mistake many people make because they think they will lose weight. Walking does make you lose weight, but only when it is done continuously and without overdoing it.
The reason is that this long walk requires the body, especially the heart and legs, to be well prepared for the intensity demanded by this walking time.
Consequently, walking once a week for a long time has some side effects. You may feel very tired or unwell during or after the walk, or possibly get cramps due to the exaggerated effort.
Walking once or twice a week causes weight loss.
This is true.
However, for this to happen it is necessary to have a very regular diet and to perform the activity in the time and at the pace necessary to burn more calories than the body consumes.
Therefore, it is necessary to include a well-defined exercise program, combined with meals that give you plenty of energy, but without exaggerating the calories. For this reason, the results of the activity performed in this way will take longer to appear, since you walk only a few times a week.
What is the importance of diet combined with activity?
Diet plays a fundamental role in helping to lose weight by walking. For walking to have a good effect without harming health, it should be done two or three times a week, for half an hour each time. Gently, without forcing the pace and your body, the results will come.
In this path, some foods should be excluded from your diet, as well as others should be included. For you to gain muscle mass, burn fat, and get a leaner and more defined body.
Therefore, you have to reduce processed foods, fatty and fried dishes, sweets, and soft drinks. On the other hand, you have to include fruits, vegetables, plenty of water, and natural juices, as well as white meats such as fish and poultry without skin, grilled, or roasted.
In addition to that, to ensure a balanced diet according to the needs of your body, it is important to have specialized nutritional support, to establish a menu with the amounts, types, and times to eat, indicating the foods that can help in weight loss.
All these tips and information on whether walking is good for weight loss will bring you very good results for your weight loss, without the risks of damaging your health. Making the benefits of walking and a good diet, are maintained for a long time.