While running is still extremely popular, more and more people are turning to walking. To many, it is more amenable to their lifestyle and causes less stress on aging joints. But just how far do you need to walk in order to lose weight and stay trim?
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day (150 minutes per week). However, if you are looking to lose weight, you need to increase your level of exercise.
For people who are obese or trying to lose weight, the ACSM recommends exercising 200-300 minutes per week (3.3-5 hours). That translates into a one-hour walk 4-5 days per week being sufficient to achieve your weight-loss goals.
However, not all walks are equal. It is important that your heart rate reaches a moderate-intensity level during a workout in order to lose weight. This is defined as activity that raises the heart rate to 50%-70% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subcontract your age from 220. For example, if you are 60 years old, subcontract 60 from 250 to get a maximum heart rate of 160. A moderate-intensity workout would be maintaining a heart rate (160 x .50 = 80 / 160 x .70 = 112) between 80 and 112.
If you increased the intensity of your workout to a vigorous activity level (70%-85% of your maximum heart rate) you can cut the duration of your walk in half and achieve the same benefits. In other words, a 60-minute moderate-intensity walk is the same as a 30-minute run at a vigorous intensity level.
How far do we have to walk to lose weight?
A 150-pound runner burns approximately 340 Cal on a three-mile run (approximately 11.3 Cal per minute). A 150-pound person walking at a moderate pace burns approximately 224 Cal on a three-mile walk (3.7 Cal per minute). Thus, you would need to walk one hour and 30 minutes, or approximately 4.5 miles, to achieve the same calorie burn as a 3-mile run.
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