At what time of the day should you exercise?
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(CNN) -
It's no secret that walking is good for your health.
Many of us try to take those 10,000 recommended daily steps that
fitness
devices
prompt us to do.
But how many calories do we actually burn, and how can we get the most out of those steps?
There are tons of “
wearable
”
devices
(to use) and calculators online to gauge how many calories we burn while walking.
However, research has shown that they are not entirely accurate.
In fact, most people burn more calories than fitness monitoring tools typically indicate, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
In 97% of the cases examined, very few calories burned were reported, the researchers revealed.
Important note:
before starting any exercise program, consult your doctor.
Stop immediately if you feel pain.
The truth about calories burned
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So how can we know exactly how many calories we can burn while walking?
In general, more calories are burned in less time with higher intensity exercise that increases your heart rate.
However, walking is a moderate intensity form of exercise, not a high intensity exercise style that is performed in short bursts, such as boxing or high intensity interval training (HIIT).
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So for maximum calorie-burning benefits, it seems like the most logical thing to do is to walk at a steady pace that keeps your heart rate up.
However, there are studies that show that changing your pace to vary the intensity and, consequently, the heart rate, throughout the walk can increase the metabolic rate between 6% and 20% more than if you maintain a pace constant throughout the hike.
What's more, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) say that when it comes to using walks to increase life span and overall health, actually doing so is more important. , than the general intensity with which they are made.
Pay attention to your heart rate and how you feel
Make no mistake, wearable technologies are not entirely inaccurate.
They can certainly provide insight into your progress toward your calorie-burning goals.
Using a fitness tracker to help you recognize when you hit your target heart rate zones can help you maximize the calorie burn and health benefits of your walk.
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The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) places the target heart rate for moderate-intensity physical activity between 64% and 76% of maximum heart rate.
Since walking is not a high intensity exercise, the greatest calorie burn is achieved with a moderate intensity, which means a fast but sustainable pace.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to calculate your maximum heart rate based on age, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 48 years, your estimated maximum heart rate is calculated at 220 - 48 = 172 beats per minute.
Continuing with our example of a 48-year-old person, a moderate intensity heart rate would be between 110 and 131 beats per minute.
During this type of exercise, you will feel your breathing rate increase, but you should be able to speak in complete sentences.
Following the research mentioned above, which shows an even greater metabolic boost at varying intensities, you should vary your pace during your walk to include brief periods of light intensity as well.
Light intensity exercise is achieved with a heart rate of 57% to 63%, according to the ACSM.
For a 48-year-old, this would equate to about 98-108 beats per minute, which should seem like a very comfortable pace, at which a full conversation can easily be carried on.
What the experts say about the best time to exercise
The fat burning distinction
Walking is often considered a great fat-burning exercise, and for good reason.
In reality, you cannot walk at higher intensities due to the nature of the exercise;
therefore, it is performed in moderate to low intensity zones, where you tend to burn more fat.
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The existence of a "fat burning zone", in which only belly fat is burned, is mostly a fallacy, but there is some truth in being able to harness the heart rate so that the body preferentially burns fat like fuel.
When you walk at a lighter intensity with your heart rate in the 57% to 63% range, you are more likely to use fat for fuel.
As you walk slower, with a slower heart rate, you will expend less caloric energy, but the calories you burn will possibly come from fat.
How long does it take for your body to lose shape when you stop exercising?
No matter the speed, the shape is important
Most of us learned the art of walking when we were little, but many of us develop bad habits as we age that affect the way we walk.
In this video I explain some of the most common mistakes we make while walking, and what we can do to correct them.
How to walk correctly to improve your health 1:56
Make sure you have good walking posture, that you move your arms back and forth, and that you distribute your weight evenly.
Like any other form of exercise, walking improperly can lead to chronic pain and even injury.
When done in good form, walking is an incredibly beneficial form of exercise for overall health and well-being beyond its calorie-burning potential.
Additionally, walking is arguably the most accessible form of exercise, as it doesn't require any special clothing, equipment, or membership.
Whether the goal is to lose fat, improve fitness, or simply improve your overall health and well-being, walking offers all of these benefits and more.
Walking, losing weight
