One of the shockingly simple but effective weight management strategies is walking. It is an easily approachable activity, and we will discuss how walking 2 hours a day for a month results in numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Walking is easy enough that any healthy person can do it, but what will happen if you commit to walking 2 hours a day for a month? Let’s delve in to find out.
Physical activities such as walking aid weight loss as they help you burn calories.
It can even be said that walking is integral for maintaining good health. It improves weight management, immunity, brain activity and protects you from chronic diseases. The quicker the walking pace and the further you walk, the more calories you burn.
As you scroll on your Instagram or TikTok feed and see someone running on a treadmill or lifting weights, you might think that it is the only way to lose weight and keep it off. Still, research suggests that walking is a great exercise, almost as effective as running, and an easy way to maintain your overall health.
Studies also show that adults who started walking for one hour a week experienced lesser joint pain and were less likely to experience other forms of disability within four years.
Walking, like other exercises, creates tiny tears in your muscles, and your body needs rest to heal and recover. Walking too much puts your body in a state where it’s unable to recover. Therefore, it would be best for you to strike a balance between walking and recovery.
When you walk too much, you are likely to experience decreased performance in speed and strength. You are also likely to experience pain and soreness as old injuries are likely to reappear.
Overtraining also throws your hormones off balance, giving you difficulty sleeping and irritability and tiredness. Check out for mental signs of overtraining such as low energy levels, burnout, and demotivation for walking.
Walking at a moderate pace for 90–120 minutes a day helps you in losing weight and increases your metabolic rate.
Consistency is good when you start walking to lose weight as it increases calories burned and allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace.
During your non-walking days, it would be best to couple your walking with strength training. However, try not to skip more than two consecutive days since a walking workout as daily activity will help you reach your weight loss goals.
If you have already attained your weight loss goals, the CDC recommends walking for 60 to 90 minutes a day coupled with regular exercise. It would also be best to eat a low-calorie diet to maintain a calorie deficit.
The CDC recommends walking 10,000 steps a day, which is equivalent to 5 miles.
However, walking 20,000 steps equals 10 miles, leading to faster weight loss due to increased physical activity.
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The number of calories you burn after walking for two hours depends on your weight and walking speed.
According to a Harvard Health report, a person weighing 185 pounds walking at an average pace of 3mph will burn 712 calories after walking for 2 hours, 800 calories if they walk at a speed of 4mph, and 888 calories if they walk at 4.5mph.
A 155-pound person will burn fewer calories walking at the same speed as a 185-pound person. The 155-pound adult will expend 596 calories walking for 2 hours at a 3mph pace, 668 calories at a 4mph pace, and 744 calories at a 4.5mph pace.
A 125-pound person will burn 480 calories walking at a 3.5mph pace after 2 hours, 540 calories at a 4mph pace, and 600 calories at a 4.5mph pace.
Physical activity does not need to be complex, and something as simple as a regular walking routine can make all the difference. Below are some of the health benefits of walking.
All you need for walking is a set of good walking shoes, and you are set. Unlike other forms of training, walking is free, and you do not need special equipment or training to start.
Walking is also a great way to improve your overall health. It strengthens your bones, improves muscle power and endurance, and reduces your risk of developing chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
Walking is a great exercise to help you burn calories, stay fit, and avoid weight gain.
Walking is a great exercise that increases your metabolism and helps prevent muscle loss. It is also easy as you do not need to slog out a treadmill workout to see its health benefits.
You can start walking at a brisk pace and increase your intensity as you get used to it.
Walking boosts your mood as it improves blood flow and circulation to your brain and body, giving a positive response to your central nervous system.
Research even suggests that an occasional stroll helps with seasonal depression.
The American Diabetes Association advises walking to be one of the easiest ways to lower blood sugar levels and lower the risk for diabetes.
People who walk regularly have a 30% lower risk of blood pressure or other cardiovascular episodes like a heart attack or stroke. Longer walks are essential for disease prevention.
Low-intensity exercise improves your heart health, making your heart stronger. A stronger heart pumps blood effortlessly. Exercise also helps you burn fat, reducing vessel stiffness, thus allowing blood to flow freely.
Contrary to popular belief that pounding feet on pavement causes joint pain, walking reduces joint pain. The wide range of motion and mobility allows blood to flow to tight areas, which helps strengthen muscles around your joints.
As you age, your risk for varicose veins also goes up. However, walking is a proven way to prevent it and strengthens the venous system formed by the muscles and veins in the calves and feet that push blood back to the heart.
If you already have varicose veins, walking will help reduce related swelling and ease restlessness in your feet.
We are all looking for ways to boost our immune system, and moderate-intensity exercise is one strategy to ramp up your immune system. It increases the immune cells that fight pathogens, thus a reduced risk of contracting diseases.
The Walking.Diet plan has great features that make walking easier for you. There’s a walking training plan with warm-up and cool-down exercises. It also has plans for overweight people who can’t handle workouts besides walking.
The Walking.Diet plan also has meal plans that are easy to prepare with ingredients readily available at any local grocery store. There is also a lot of information on food and nutrition, walking gear, and the health benefits of the plan.
Other bonus features that come with an extra purchase of the plan include a keto desserts cookbook, general health workouts, and private consultations with a nutritionist.
Constipation affects people’s lives in different ways, depending on its severity. It may be accompanied by abdominal pain and hemorrhoids due to straining during bowel movements.
Your body weight can be affected by constipation, so the cause of this condition should be sought and resolved.
In general, lifestyle modification is enough to show improvement in a short time. However, more complex conditions that cause chronic constipation, such as hypothyroidism or irritable bowel syndrome, should be treated by specialists.
Diet is a very important factor as it determines the content of the digestive tract. Include fiber, water, probiotics, good fats, and whole-grain carbohydrates. All these elements are essential to ensure bowel movements and overall health.
Walking 2 hours a day is a great way to improve your physical and mental health. You can make your walks more challenging and exciting by finding a hilly terrain and increasing pace intensity.
Do not underestimate the power of walking. Get a personal Walking.Diet trainer and make walking a habit.
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My great grandmother comes from a small town in eastern N.C. , When I was a little kid and she was in her seventies I remember she use to walk everywhere she went to church, her daughter’s house ,etc. She was and still is my inspiration though I am now in my sixties. My main point is why does it have to be a challenge or exciting to be worth while.
Wonderful 👍
Excellent article with much informative about walking and it’s power. Great work.. 👏🏻👏🏻🤩