Walking and calories
By far, walking is the most accessible sport for people of all ages. At the same time, modern research proves that the relationship between walking and the calories spent on this activity allows you to use it not only for health in general, but also for weight loss in particular.
How much to walk to lose weight
To lose weight by walking, you need to know exactly how many calories walking is burning. In the process of walking, breathing deepens, the lungs are trained, the muscles, including the heart, are strengthened. Burning calories and walking are not always synonymous, so you should not tune in to immediate results.
The slower you walk, the fewer calories you burn. For example, at a speed of 7 km / h, twice as many calories are spent than at a speed of 4 km / h. Obviously, to walk and lose weight, you need to move at a fast enough pace.
The relationship between walking and calories is constantly being studied. Thanks to this, today there are many devices that calculate energy costs: sports watches, pedometers, etc. At the same time, in the absence of such devices, it is not difficult to independently calculate how many calories walking burns in each specific case. To do this, use the metabolic equivalent of calorie expenditure while walking - MET:
Calories burned = (MET * workout time (minutes) * weight (kg) * 3.5) / 200.
For walking at 7 km / h, MET = 5. A person with a body weight of 70 kg, who spent 40 minutes on such a walk, can calculate calorie consumption using this formula as follows:
(5 * 40 * 70 * 3.5) / 200 = 245 (kcal).
Maximum Calorie Burn When Walking
Obviously, with an increase in walking speed, MET increases, which, in turn, leads to an increase in energy consumption. In addition, there are a number of rules, following which walking will help to more effectively reduce body weight. So, calories are burned more intensively when walking fast.
In the absence of special devices, it is convenient to focus on the heart rate - pulse. You need to move at such a speed that you are a little out of breath, but at the same time maintain the ability to speak clearly. Similarly, you can control the effectiveness of walking on a special simulator.
Walking up an incline leading to higher energy costs - at an angle of 5 to about 50%. Thus, to increase your calorie burning while walking, you should intersperse it with climbing an incline. Also, to increase energy consumption, it is effective to change the surface coating while walking. To burn more calories while walking, movement with weights is recommended. They can be purchased at sports stores, and can also be replaced with a regular weighted backpack.
A special Nordic walking with sticks like skiing is gaining more and more popularity today. During such exercises, calorie expenditure increases by 50% due to the greater number of muscles involved in the process. A lighter version of Scandinavian walking can be considered walking with sweeping arm movements. In addition to burning calories, walking can help promote good posture. It is also useful to periodically retract and relax the abdominal muscles during exercise, as well as strain the buttocks. In this case, you should step on the entire foot.
A change in stride when walking helps to lose weight. This maneuver is also effective in fighting cellulite. Calorie expenditure and the number of muscles involved in the process increase when walking backwards. In the process of walking, it is useful to perform simple exercises - hand swings, body turns, and others.
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