We all know that a walk can be a nice workout—but if it’s too leisurely, it isn’t exactly super-duper in terms of the calories it uses up. Given the time crunch we’re all under (not to mention the desire to keep weight under control), wouldn’t it be great to jack up the calorie burn our walks provide?
Well, that’s actually quite simple to do, I heard from Edward Weiss, PhD, an exercise physiologist and associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University. Here’s how…
Listen to fast music. You’ll subconsciously pick up your pace to match the tempo of the music. This can make a significant difference! For instance, according to the Mayo Clinic, during a one-hour walk, a 160-pound person walking at 2 mph (a 30-minute mile) uses 204 calories…but speeding up to 3.5 mph (a 17-minute mile) burns off 314 calories.
Head outdoors. When you walk on a naturally uneven surface, such as grass, snow or sand, your body has to work harder and thus uses up more calories than on a treadmill. Remember the 160-pound walker in the example above? If she hikes for one hour instead, she increases her calorie expenditure to 438—more than double the amount burned during her 2-mph walk. Bonus: The change of scenery and extra sunlight can boost your mood, enhancing your enjoyment and encouraging you to walk even farther.
Get your arms into the action. Swinging your arms as you walk can increase the calories used by 5% to 10%, according to research from the University of California, Berkeley. What to do: With elbows bent at a 90° angle, wrists straight and hands unclenched, let your arms swing from your shoulders in opposition to your legs.
Stick with it. Consistency is key, so you don’t want to burn yourself out. “Long, intense workouts like those shown on television may burn a lot of calories in a single session—but they also can make exercise difficult to stick with. You’ll burn more calories in the long run if you do a daily 30-minute walk than if you do so much exercise that you quit the routine after the first week or two because it’s too demanding,” Dr. Weiss said.
Buddy up. Walking with a partner—preferably one who’s a bit more fit than you—challenges you to keep up and take your workout to the next level. Also, knowing that your buddy is counting on you to show up makes it less likely that you’ll bail out.
