As the festive season is round the corner, most of us would be aiming to shred some weight and bring the best versions of ourselves to slay in those desi outfits. While crash diets, intense gym routines and intermittent fasting are popular, a simpler and highly effective way often goes unnoticed—walking. It is low-impact, meaning it not only helps a person get out of weight but also offers several psychological benefits as per sports science. Here’s a breakdown of why walking should be your go-to strategy for losing weight.
Walking – A Proven Weight Loss Tool
Walking is generally one of the most underrated ways to achieve and then maintain weight loss, despite evidence revealing a great reduction in body weight along with good preservation of all-around health. Research brings out a fact and that is frequent walking can help reduce the risk of heart disease among such people who are suffering from conditions including type-2 diabetes. Besides other benefits, walking prevents high blood pressure among other chronic diseases.
Start Slow, Build Up Gradually
One of the major benefits of walking is that it can be done by almost everybody, regardless of ability. Whereas experts call for 150 minutes per week of walking, the initiation phase invariably consists of slow introduction, in case someone is just embarking on an exercise programme. Thereafter, the time and intensity can be increased gradually as stamina builds. Consult your doctor for a serious medical condition as that will be necessary in finding how much activity is right for you.
Walking Maintains Lean Body Mass
Unlike other forms of exercise that sometimes result in the loss of some muscle, walking is known to prevent the loss of muscle but reduces the fat. As muscle tissue burns more calories than fat does, it’s pretty vital to retain muscle mass. Moreover, walking builds the cardiovascular system and enhances the strength of your muscles.
Summary
It is helpful to lose fat, boost metabolism and reduce hunger.
It burns as much as 150 calories in about 30 minutes a day of walking. Even more important, it helps regulate blood sugar levels in order to not have the spikes and crashes that can surely trigger sugar cravings. Walking also revs your metabolism up. It keeps flowing that energy but does also give you regular appetite checks-the key ingredient in steering clear of unwanted snacking and overeating.
Walking Reduces Stress and Curbs Emotional Eating
One of the less well-known benefits of walking is how it can regulate appetite and reduce bingeing related to stress. By adhering to your schedule of walking, your body becomes accustomed to a routine; this means you’re eating at predetermined times each day and dealing with tension in much more peaceful ways. Snacking less on junk foods allows your body to do a better job at digesting and absorbing nutrients from those meals.
Consistency Yields Results
Walking best becomes a habit. So, regular walks can generally reach your stubborn areas of fat, such as the belly and underarms. Consistency in walking also brings about results quickly, especially in burning visceral fat: that deep fat around organs in the abdominal area and notoriously hard to shed.
Belly Fat Bye-Bye
The belly fat is usually the hardest to burn, however brisk walking has already been proven to help get rid of this body part. In this sense, the more you hasten the pace, the more you will break down the visceral fat that mounts up around the abdomen. Thus, within some time, you are to get a much-toned midsection.
Better Sleep for Better Weight Loss
With all the technology that surrounds us today, quality sleep always seems to fall by the wayside. Walking is a great aid in getting better sleep because it calms your body and readies it for restful sleep. Sleeping for 7-8 hours at night is absolutely necessary for mental rejuvenation, but physical rejuvenation also incurs burns during sleep.
Walking Calms the Mind and Enhances Mood
Walking, especially in the out-of-doors but greener areas like parks, can rejuvenate one’s body as well as mind. Clean air and a nice peaceful atmosphere are conducive to an optimistic state of mind, relieving stress and all-around sense of well-being. It is also a great way to straighten up one’s posture, tone up muscles and fight off flab. If you have a hectic lifestyle, divide your walks into shorter, more intensive “power walks.”.
Walking is an effective, low-impact activity that brings with it numerous health benefits while also promoting prevention of a sustainable weight loss mode. Through such walking every day, you will not only lose all unwanted pounds but also improve your health and mental condition.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye