Why Walking Works: Small Steps to BIG Changes

Changing your body and prioritising your health requires small but strategic changes that you implement consistently. And walking more often is one of the best ways to make big changes.

Taking regular walks creates opportunities to move more every day, offering one of the simplest, most sustainable ways to burn more calories.

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Walk this way

Extreme lifestyle overhauls rarely create lasting sustainable change, and walking is one of the most underutilised and underrated forms of exercise out there. Forget two-a-day workout schedules and slashing even more calories.

Walking at its most basic level is a form of movement and the simplest form of exercise you can do. It’s also an activity everyone already does every day.

It’s free and you can do anywhere with no equipment. All you need is a good pair of socks and some comfy shoes! You walk from the car to the office, up and down stairs, and walk around the grocery store and mall all the time.

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Walk it off

So how do we make it work for our health and our waistline? Walking offers a ton of benefits.

Spending more time walking can improve muscle strength and flexibility, bone density, sleep quality and can also help maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress level and improve mental health.

Studies have also shown that walking can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, still one of the leading causes of death.

One study – a meta-analysis of 17 different studies published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology – determined that “an increase of 1000 steps a day was associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of dying from any cause, and an increase of 500 steps a day was associated with a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease.”

Taking it even further by walking between 10,000-12,000 steps daily can reduce blood pressure as well, according to the Center for Disease Control.

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Stepping up weight loss

Research also shows that walking is an effective way to lose weight and fat, especially for those carrying excess weight.

A study published in the journal Nutrients found that participants lost body fat walking at both slow and fast speeds, but the change was “more clear, rapid, and greater in overweight–obese slow walkers, and therefore slow walking would be preferable in subjects with greater starting body fatness.”

In another study, researchers tracked weight loss in two groups – those who followed a calorie-restricted diet and another group who dieted and walked.

The findings published in the Journal Nutrients found that while both groups lost a similar amount of weight—about 8% of total body mass—by the end of the intervention, with similar reductions in waist circumference (about seven centimeters) and fat-free mass (about 2.3 kilograms), the walkers lost significantly more fat mass (6.4 vs. 4.8 kilograms) compared to the diet-only group.

Start stepping out

So set a goal on your fitness tracker or wearable and see how close you can get most days! Hint: 1 kilometre is about 1,200 steps!

Start with a kilometre and see how long it takes for you to complete that. With time, your pace will become a marker that you can improve on as you lose weight.

If time is an issue, consider splitting walks into a morning and evening session of about half a kilometre each. You can also use your lunch hour for a power walking session to get extra steps in.

Find new trails or explore parks in different neighborhoods on weekends. Grab a friend or even your dog to keep things fresh and fun. Walking your pooch every day has benefits for your K9 companion too, including quality bonding time. It’ll be easier for him to maintain a healthy weight, good joints and bones, and also improve behaviour with brain-boosting benefits. Exploring outdoors also enhances the senses and socialisation.

Get your walk on

Start slowly and tune into any aches and pains or old injuries. Spend a few minutes stretching your hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Pay special attention to your low back if that bothers you.

When you feel ready, add in quicker intervals for one to two minutes at a time.

Ideally, when walking becomes a consistent form of exercise, you should feel warm while you walk, with the ability to hold a conversation without feeling breathless or at your max effort. It should feel like work, but comfortable.

Lacing up your shoes is the first step toward a healthier you, inside and out, and you can start that today!

About the author

Emma Aguirre is a transformation specialist, trainer and coach with a passion for change. She specialises in lifestyle overhauls, teaching women how to live well through mindset, soul work, food and fitness to achieve their health, wellness, fitness and weight-loss goals. As a mom to two young girls, this matters to her deeply. For the last 20 years, she has taught many group fitness classes in and out of the gym, trained clients in person and currently mentor over 30 women virtually. She is also a journalist with experience in news and features writing.