Like any question about health and fitness worth answering, the question of whether walking is a good exercise for weight loss depends on several factors, and isn't necessarily clear-cut.
The UK’s NHS website describes walking as “simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier,” and in one sense, the answer to the question of whether walking is a good exercise for weight loss is a fairly simple yes. But how effective is it? And is walking a guaranteed method of losing weight?
So whether you’re trying to lose weight and get active for the very first time, or you’re trying to supplement your existing regime with some extra steps, here are some of the things you need to know about walking for weight loss.
Can you lose weight by walking?
There are a number of studies that link walking to weight loss. Including these studies into 10,000 steps as a target from 2006, 2017, and 2018. This 2019 study established that a pattern of daily steps is associated with weight loss. So why does walking help with weight loss and how can you use that to your advantage?
Losing weight, gaining weight, or staying at the same weight revolves almost exclusively around one principle; calories in versus calories out. If you eat more calories than you burn daily, you’ll gain weight over time. Conversely, if you burn more calories than you’re eating, you’ll lose weight.
Burning calories comes down to two basic factors, your basal metabolic rate, and calories burned during activity. Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current size, not taking into account any daily exercise or activity you might be doing. Your body is always burning calories, but you can burn even more calories by adding exercise into your week. That’s where walking comes in.
Walking can help tip the balance so that you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming, aiding weight loss. Let me give you an example:
According to most of the best smart scales, my BMR is around 2,250. If I eat exactly that number of calories, my weight won’t change. If I eat more, my weight will increase. I could choose to reduce my weight by cutting calories, eating less than 2,250 calories a day. Or I could simply increase my daily activity by walking.
Suppose my BMR is 2,250, and I burn an extra 550 calories a day by walking. Now, my overall calorie burn for the day is around 2,800 calories, making it much easier to remain in a calorie deficit, which is the only way to lose weight. Even if I eat 2,500 calories, I’ll still be in a deficit of 300, and gradually my weight will drop.
Imagine weight loss like a set of balancing scales, on one side is your calorie burn, on the other side is your calorie intake (the food you eat daily). If we add walking to the calorie burn side, we’ll tip the scale towards calorie burn, and weight loss should follow.
If that’s still not clear, think about the opposite effect. Imagine I burn 550 calories while walking each day, burning around 2,800 calories total, but I consistently eat 3,000 calories a day. My body is now in a 200-calorie surplus, and will store the excess as fat. This means I’ll gain weight over time.
Who can lose weight by walking?
Walking is an especially useful tool for weight loss for many people. If you’re just starting on your fitness journey, or you are overweight, you don’t want to put unnecessary strain on your body. Walking is generally low impact, and much less likely to cause injury than running. As such, walking is a great tool for people who are older or are carrying a large amount of excess body weight.
Walking is also great for people who want to try weight loss in a social setting, because you can do it with a friend or a group of people more easily. Walking is also very useful because it’s easier to fit into daily life. You can add walking to your routine by switching up your commute, parking further away from the door of the grocery store, or even just doing a few laps around the block after work.
If you’re busier or can’t afford to invest in more specialized training tools like the best running shoes, walking is an option for pretty much anyone.
Is there a better way to lose weight than walking?
If you don’t consider yourself a beginner, or you’re confident about doing more intense exercise without risk of injury, walking might not be the best answer when it comes to weight loss exercise. If you can, jogging, running, stair climbing, or anything more intensive than walking will generally burn more calories than walking.
The more intense the activity is that you’re doing, the more calories you’ll burn in the process. A great example is rucking; a popular new fitness trend that involves walking with a weighted backpack. By adding weight, you’re increasing the amount of calories you burn during your exercise because your body has to work harder.
So if you’re already in decent shape, or you’re not inhibited by any injuries or mobility issues, consider doing some more intense than walking for more immediate results. That being said, you definitely won’t gain weight by walking, and it will still aid weight loss over time, just more slowly than some other options.
Distance or time?
When it comes to walking (or any type of exercise), choosing distance over time is a great way to ensure better results. This 2017 study revealed a link between walking or running for a distance being more effective than walking or running for a certain amount of time.
The psychology behind it is pretty simple. If you’re tasked with walking a certain distance, you’ll be more motivated to walk faster and get the job done. Whereas walking for a certain amount of time doesn’t incentivize you as much, so you’ll likely walk more slowly. Similarly, as you get fitter, you’ll be able to finish the task more quickly, burning more calories as you go. In contrast, if you only walked for 60 minutes each time, you’re more limited in your progress.
Walking is half the battle
As we’ve already outlined, walking is only going to aid your weight loss if you’re also doing the work in the kitchen. This study confirmed that walking 30 minutes (with your diet in check) was just as effective for weight loss as walking for 60 minutes.
In short, walking is only a good exercise for weight loss when paired with other lifestyle changes. If your body weight is generally consistent and you’d like to lose some weight, introducing walking should yield some results.
However, no matter how far you walk, you won’t lose any weight if you’re not living in a consistent calorie deficit that sees you burning more calories per day than you eat. Walking can help tip that balance, but it can’t take you all the way.
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