In my late 40s, I was gaining a ton of fat, especially around my midsection, and I tried various methods, trainers, and coaches before I found what worked. Like many of you, I thought running was the ultimate fat-burning exercise, but I was wrong. I would run miles and miles but couldn’t lose fat—in fact, I was gaining weight. At age 52 in 2019, I finally transformed my body and took part in 3 bodybuilding shows, earning two pro cards and 12 trophies. Now, at 57, I maintain 16% body fat without running a single mile. Read on to discover how walking can transform your body more effectively than running ever could.
My Fitness Journey
Before I learned what worked, I did tons of running because it worked well when I was in my mid-30s. But what I found in my late 40s is I would run miles and miles but couldn’t lose fat. In fact, I was gaining weight because it made me hungry and I ate more, and my menopausal body couldn’t burn the calories like it used to because my metabolism was waning. But I stuck to running for 2½ years even though I was failing to get in shape.
I used to think walking was the poor cousin to running, and I actually believed running was more effective than walking. Now I know different. I LOVE walking. I finally quit running when I learned walking can be just as effective if not more effective if you implement the right strategies.
You often find when you have been on a run you are starving, so naturally, you are going to eat more—but here’s the rub—you won’t necessarily burn it off. Running can cause your muscle mass to deplete, which in turn will destroy your metabolism, especially if you are doing endurance training for a half marathon or marathon, for example.
Walking has been more effective for me than running, and I advise my clients to switch from endurance training like long-distance running to walking. Any type of walking can burn calories, but there are some strategies you can incorporate that will make it more effective.
5 Walking Techniques That Burn More Fat
Count Your Steps
Step count matters. Measure your walking. I like to use a wearable device to measure steps like a Fitbit, Apple Watch, or Oura ring. But there are loads of cheaper alternatives out there. Get 7,000 steps+ per day. But if you are already doing that, you will want to increase it. You can do this by adding in 1,000 steps every 2-3 weeks, for example.
Keep Your Body Guessing
If you are currently walking 3 miles, increase it. Or measure your steps and increase by 1,000 steps every 2-3 weeks.
Another way you can keep your body guessing is to make your walking tougher. I love walking with a weighted vest or rucking. Look for a weighted vest that is around 10%-15% of your body weight. This gets your heart rate up more than walking without a vest, so you will burn more calories. It’s a great form of steady-state cardio. You can start by walking for 20 minutes.
Tackle Hills and Inclines
Instead of walking with a weighted vest, another option is hill walking or walking on an incline on the treadmill. This makes the walk really tough. For example, I put the incline up to 15% on the treadmill when I am prepping for a show or dropping body fat. You don’t need to do it for a long time—20 mins. But it’s so low impact compared to running, and you will still be able to retain that all-important muscle.
Invest in a Walking Pad
I bought a walking pad for my office recently. This is a serious game changer. I can walk while I am in Zoom meetings, and boom, my step count has really increased for that day, without even thinking about it and with minimal effort.
Mix Up Your Routine
Your body thrives on variety. If you’re always walking on a flat surface or the same route, mix it up! Try trail walking, add hills, or even walk barefoot on the beach for a different experience. You can also incorporate rucking, which involves walking with a weighted backpack, or simply add a weighted vest. Changing your scenery and routine keeps things interesting and helps your body burn more calories.
Remember to keep your body guessing, whether that’s making your walking more challenging or increasing your step count. If you keep doing the same thing week after week, your body gets used to it, and it becomes less effective. But adding in a weighted vest, making it a hill walk, or increasing the time by 5 minutes will keep your body guessing.
How Long and How Often Should You Walk?
I recommend that most people walk every day. How long you do it depends on what you are currently doing and your fitness level. If you are completely sedentary, walking 10 minutes a day at first will make a difference, then work towards 7,000 steps over several weeks. If you are used to walking, for example, if you have a dog, add in a weighted vest to make it more challenging.
Common Walking Mistakes to Avoid
Not Walking Enough
If you have been walking for a couple of months, you will need to increase the amount you are doing or add another level of challenge like a weighted vest or hills. Your body gets used to any cardio, including walking, so it’s less effective at burning calories once you have been doing it for a while. You need to keep your body guessing.
Walking Too Slowly
Once you have been walking a month or two, you need to speed things up to burn calories.
Not Tracking
Count your steps or miles so you know how much you are doing. You should be getting in at least 7,000 steps per day.
Ignoring Nutrition
You can’t eat a poor diet and expect to see results from walking. That’s the mistake I made when I was running. I thought, “Well, I can eat what I like as I’ll burn it off.” You really need to pay attention to nutrition to see real results. The more you dial in on nutrition, the better results you will see.
Skipping Strength Training
If you lift weights 3-4 times a week, you will see much better results from walking. Lifting weights together with a nutrition protocol of high-protein eating will see a transformation. If you are looking to reduce your body fat percentage, walking, lifting, and eating a protein-rich diet will get you towards your goal. And you will need to watch your calorie intake. You need to be in what’s called a calorie deficit—burning more calories than you are consuming.
How to Incorporate These Techniques Into Your Week
With any form of exercise—walking included—you need to make it enjoyable and doable. Think about what will fit into your routine. I love outdoor walking at first light as it’s great for my general well-being, but that might not be possible for you. You might live in an area not suitable for walking or have extreme weather conditions.
Maybe you can fit walking in at the gym after your weights session, or you can get a walking pad for your office. You can just get off a stop earlier on the train or bus to get a walk in on the way to your place of work or on the way home. Take the stairs, not the elevator, and park farther away at the shopping mall. All these small things will add up.
You just need to get creative with it. Nowadays, I’ll think rather than getting in my car, “Can I walk there?” The other day I was meeting my family for lunch, and it was about 4 miles away. It was a nice Sunday afternoon, so I thought, “I may as well walk.” I stuck my headphones on and got my Wellington boots on and headed out. When I got there, my family were a bit taken aback because they couldn’t see my car! But as it was a nice day and in the countryside, it was really enjoyable.
The Role of Nutrition and Rest
You can’t outrun your fork—or in this case, out-walk your fork! How you eat is a major influence on whether you will see any benefit from walking. Simply including walking does not always work without great nutrition. Eating a diet that is rich in protein and being in a calorie deficit are just as important—if not more important—than exercise if you are looking to burn fat.
With walking, you don’t really need to include “rest days” like other forms of strenuous exercise. It’s great to walk every day—keeping your body moving is great for your mind, body, and soul.
Expected Results
Women on my programs who walk with a weighted vest plus focus on nutrition and lift weights will typically lose 5-10lbs in 30 days and 1-5 inches off their waist. However, you do need to follow the steps I have mentioned and don’t ignore the weights room and your diet.
Advice for Beginners
Don’t try to do too much too soon and make it easy for yourself! Psychologically, it’s really hard if you say to yourself, “I am going to walk for an hour a day” when you are first starting out. I get my sedentary clients starting with 10 minutes of walking a day and gradually building up from there. They soon learn to love it because if you go outside for a walk at lunchtime, when you come back, you will feel much better—just within 10 minutes.
A walking pad or under-desk treadmill is a great tool that I recommend to my clients who are more sedentary through their day. It makes it easy to fit walking in if you have a desk job. You can just hop on while you are making calls or on Zoom meetings. And if you enjoyed this article, don’t miss How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
Melissa Neill is the founder of Body By Bikini, helping menopausal women transform their bodies. She has helped over 10,000 women through her fitness programs and has 300,000 subscribers on her YouTube Channel with almost 40 million views.
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