Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise. This can be attributed to the fact that walking is not extremely strenuous. However, walking is one of the most effective ways to burn fat and build muscle.
Did you know that you can also significantly reduce belly fat simply by walking? Studies have indicated that walking is more effective at burning belly fat than sit-ups. As well, there is less chance of neck or back injury through walking as opposed to sit-ups. Keep in mind, as with any type of workout, that consistency is a key factor in losing weight, burning fat and building muscle.
Walking Off Belly Fat
The key to successful weight loss is to burn off more calories than you consume. A well-balanced and healthy diet, along with regular walking, can speed up the process.
We all know that the stomach is one of the hardest places to lose weight. This is especially true for women. Walking is one of the safest, and easiest ways to get rid of that unwanted belly fat.
Get In The Zone
The best way to walk off belly fat is to ensure that you are walking in the proper heart rate zone. For most, this falls between sixty and seventy percent of your maximum heart rate. At this pace, you should burn about seven to twelve calories in a sixty-second interval.
In order to calculate your maximum heart rate, first, subtract your current age from 220. Multiply that number by 0.6. Using this method, the maximum heart rate for a twenty-year-old is 120 BMP (beats per minute).
Keep your walk at a low to moderate pace for roughly forty-five to sixty minutes. This way, instead of burning stored carbs, your body will burn fat. As you first begin to walk your body will burn stored carbs and sugars. Once the body is depleted of these, the body will work harder to burn fat. So the longer you work out, the more fat you will burn.
Fasted Cardio Walking to Burn Belly Fat
Walking first thing in the morning before you consume any food or beverages (other than water) will help condition your body to utilize fat as the primary source of energy.
Start off with a 10-minute walk to warm up, then get in your fat-burning zone (see above) for 45-60 minutes to achieve maximum belly fat burn. As well, you can add some exercises such as lunges or squats during your walk to break things up. After a few weeks, you will see noticeable results in your waistline and abdomen!
Mix Up Your Walking Routine to Burn Even More Belly Fat
Anyone who has done the same workout routine for any length of time can attest to the fact that eventually, you will start to hit a plateau. At this point, your body has adapted to the routine and will either stop burning calories or burn them at a noticeably slower rate. To prevent this, we recommend increasing the intensity of the walking routine at once or twice a week for an added boost.
Interval training has been proven to effectively burn fat. Keep in mind that those workouts with a higher intensity will place more strain on your joints. It is essential to rest between these intense workouts to avoid injury, which is why only two intense workouts are ideal per week. However, high-intensity workouts will reduce the amount of time you have to work out. You can achieve the same results in one half-hour session that you can in two longer lower-intensity workouts.
Try this high intensity walking routine to burn belly fat:
*limit to 2x a week (and don’t forget to stretch before and after your walk!)
- Start with a 10-minute working, pacing up your pace gradually.
- Next alternate with 2 minutes of moderate walking with one minute of speed walking. Do this for 20 minutes. Walk with an open stride while pumping your arms to burn the maximum amount of calories during this time. (you can try jogging or light running for one-minute intervals to kick it up a notch)
- Slow down your pace for the final ten minutes of your walk.
Are you ready to walk off that belly fat? Don your favorite leggings and lace up those trainers and get to it! Besides finding a gym in Derby. This is completely free.