Ideally, it would be perfect if we could lose weight by hitting the gym for an hour a day, knocking out a strength training circuit, mixed with a solid cardio session. Realistically, it’s a struggle for most people to make it to work, let alone get to the gym. For busy, overwhelmed people who struggle to fit working out into their overpacked schedule, walking is a wonderful way to squeeze in a little bit of exercise. Walking is low impact, low cost, and a simple way to move towards your weight loss goals.
Experts typically recommend a target of 10,000 steps a day if you want to lose weight – but can you actually lose weight by hitting this number? NASM-certified personal trainer and fitness coach, Courtney Meadows has the answer!
On average, a person burns 100 calories per every mile that they walk. If you walked an average of 5 miles a day, that means that you’d burn 500 calories a day and 35000 calories a week — which is equal to one pound of fat! Experts recommend that you lose only 1-2 pounds a week for long-term, successful weight loss. Meadows explains, “While there are a lot of factors that go into this, it’s best to aim for this goal to ensure a slow and sustainable weight-loss journey”.
Meadows also points out the role that nutrition plays when logging steps and losing weight. She warns, “It’s true when you hear that you can’t outwork a bad diet…It’s all about calories in vs. calories out. In order to lose weight, you need to be eating in a caloric deficit, and you’ll want the majority of your meals to be whole foods.”
If you’re aiming to hit a number of steps to hit a certain weight loss goal, it’s important to avoid fried foods, processed foods, sugar, and refined carbs. You’re much better off eating healthy, whole vegetables, fruits, protein and healthy fats to help you hit your weight loss goals!
