Walking is a physical activity during which you expend calories. If you do it on a regular basis, it could help you lose weight.
- The bicycle is also a very good way to get daily exercise by taking it, for example, to go to work.
- For children and adolescents, the National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS) recommends practicing the equivalent of at least 60 minutes of walking per day.
In France, for adults, it is recommended to do at least 30 minutes of brisk walking per day at least 5 times per week according to the National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS). A good habit to adopt to be healthy, but also to lose weight… Especially if you are not used to walking a lot.
From 100 to 300 calories for an hour of walking
Indeed, walking for an hour at 6 kilometers per hour, i.e. a brisk walk, for a person around 70 kilos consumes around 300 calories. For a gentler walk, a mile per hour, that same adult is estimated to burn just over 100 calories. If you want to lose weight, then you can do the math, depending on your needs.
Per day, the amount of calories needed for an adult is on average between 2,400 and 2,600 calories for a man and 1,800 to 2,200 calories for a woman. If you want to lose weight, the daily calorie balance must be slightly negative, that is to say that the body expends more calories than it is supplied by eating.
To better measure the real caloric expenditure of your walk, you can also use a pedometer which will calculate your number of steps, the distance traveled and the calories expended according to the model.
Start with 15 to 20 minutes
However, be careful not to walk too much at once. If you’re not used to it, like all sports, you have to get started gradually. You can start with 15 to 20 minute sessions, not every day, and increase as you go. Indeed, it must not be painful, otherwise it will be difficult to hold on in the long term, or you will hurt yourself.
On the other hand, to take steps, everything counts. So do not hesitate to adopt new daily habits: go to work on foot if possible or get off a station earlier if you take public transport to walk a little. Also climb the stairs as soon as possible, organize walks with friends on the weekend or integrate a small digestive walk into your lunch break.
Doing more physical activity
Obviously, to lose weight you must also eat a balanced diet in reasonable quantities. Ideally, the practice of regular physical activity, in addition to walking, is also recommended. L’World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18 to 64 do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity sport or 75 to 150 minutes of sustained-intensity sport per week.
