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Walking: Is it enough for weight loss?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/AN01773
- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Walking: Is it enough for weight loss?
Can I lose weight if my only exercise is walking?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
You might be able to lose weight that way, depending on the duration and intensity of your walking and what your diet's like. But eating fewer calories through dietary changes seems to promote weight loss more effectively than does physical activity.
That's not to say physical activity, such as walking, isn't important for weight control — it is. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. (To lose a pound a week, you generally need to eliminate 500 calories a day.) Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.
To reap the most health benefits from exercise, your exercise intensity must generally be at a moderate or vigorous level. For weight loss, the more intense your exercise, or the longer you exercise, the more calories you burn. However, balance is important. Overdoing it can increase your risk of soreness, injury and burnout. If you're new to regular exercise and physical activity, you may need to start out at a light intensity and gradually build up to a moderate or vigorous intensity.
Once you've lost weight, exercise is even more important — it's what helps keep the weight off. In fact, studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get regular physical activity. So keep walking, but make sure you also follow a healthy diet.
Next questionNegative-calorie foods: Diet gimmick or weight-loss aid?
- Walking. Compendium of Physical Activities. https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities. Accessed Oct. 1, 2012.
- Redman LM, et al. Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2007;92:865.
- Kushner RF. Obesity management. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2007;36:191.
- Zeratksy KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 2, 2012.
- 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx. Accessed Oct. 22, 2012.
- Weight loss for life. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/PDFs/WeightLossforLife_04.pdf. Accessed Oct. 1, 2012.
- Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. Intercourse, Pa.: Good Books; 2010.
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