Walking for Muscle and Fat Loss? Counting Steps & Formula

Can You Lose Belly Fat By Walking?

That's a great question! I often get asked this as an online coach and personal trainer for the last 15 years. The short answer is yes, let's see why below.

In my opinion, walking is underestimated as a form of exercise, but it can be incredibly effective for both muscle building and fat loss. While many people turn to high-intensity workouts and weightlifting to achieve their fitness goals, walking can offer numerous benefits that should not be overlooked.

What Is The Best Time For Walking To Lose Weight?

 Walking is a form of low intensity training and can be trained any time of the day, whether that's first thing in the morning or before bed. The majority of calories burned will come from fat stores.

Regular walking can be a great way to support fat loss for everyone. It helps to boost calorie burning, leading to a calorie deficit that is crucial for fat loss. Additionally, walking can enhance metabolism and encourage the body to burn fat, making it a useful approach for those aiming to reduce body fat.

How You Can Transform Your Walk In To a Fat-Burning Workout 

Understanding the science and calories burned from each walking step can help you create an effective walking program to help lose weight. For example:

Do you know how to calculate calories burned through walking?

Does the calorie expenditure vary when walking on a level ground compared to an incline? And does one's body weight impact the overall calories burned?

All of the above questions will be addressed in this article, alongside a reliable formula that I have developed over numerous years of training to accurately calculate the calories burned from steps as a method of cardio for weight loss.

The Benefits of Walking Everyday vs Walking 1 Hour a Day

Whether you walk 45 minutes a day, 1 hour a day or 10 minutes, there are many benefits physically and mentally.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of walking below.

#1 Easy on The Joints & Adrenal System.

One of the key advantages of walking is that it is a low-impact exercise, making it suitable for individuals of all fitness levels. Unlike more intense forms of exercise, walking puts minimal stress on the joints and adrenals, making it an excellent option for those who are new to fitness, recovering from an injury, obese, and older populations. 

While most younger populations opt for intense workouts and lifting weights to reach their fitness targets, walking provides many recovery benefits that shouldn't be ignored.

#2 Improves Metabolism & Fat Oxidation.

In terms of muscle building, walking can help to strengthen and tone the muscles in the lower body. While it may not provide the same level of muscle activation as weightlifting, walking can still contribute to overall muscle development, especially when walking uphill.

Additionally, walking can be a valuable tool for fat loss. Engaging in regular walking can help to increase overall calorie expenditure, contributing to a calorie deficit that is necessary for fat loss. Furthermore, walking can help to improve metabolism and promote fat oxidation, making it an effective strategy for those looking to shed excess body fat.

#3 Relieves Stress & Improves Overall Well-Being

Aside from its physical benefits, walking also offers mental and emotional advantages. Taking a walk outdoors can provide stress relief, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being. This can be particularly beneficial for those who struggle with high-intensity workouts or prefer a more gentle form of exercise.

In conclusion, walking is a highly underrated form of exercise that can deliver significant benefits for both muscle building and fat loss. Whether you are looking to improve your overall fitness, manage your weight, or simply enjoy the mental and emotional perks of physical activity, incorporating regular walks into your routine can be a valuable and effective strategy.

How Much Should I Walk To Lose Fat?

Before we discuss how much we should walk per day, we need to look at counting calories burned from steps.

When it comes to calculating calories burned by walking, many articles overlook important factors such as body weight and walking incline. Instead, they rely on an average person's step across a flat surface, which can be misleading.

For a more accurate calculation of step calorie counting, it's essential to consider both body weight and the incline of the walking surface.

Calculating Calories Burned Walking Per KM Formula

Let's look at a formula I've created below assuming an average population walking speed of 5.1km/h:

1 calorie x 1 kilogram of bodyweight x 1km walked on a flat surface = Total calories burned from walking

For every 1-degree surface incline, we multiply the total calorie value by 0.05.

Calories Burned Walking 10,000 Steps vs 4,000 Steps 

Let's take 2 different examples of calories burned with different step protocols. In example 1, we have a male that completes 4,000 steps per day and example 2 shows us a female walking 10,000 steps per day for weight loss.

Let's see the results using our formula.

Example 1:

An 85kg man would burn 85 calories per 1km walk which equals 1,000 steps. If he completed 4000 steps in a day his caloric deficit would be 340 calories (85 calories x 4km walk).

If there was an incline of 1 degree throughout his walk we would multiply 85 x 4 x 0.05 = 17 additional calories burned and the new total caloric deficit would be 340 + 17 = 357 calories

Example 2:

A 60kg woman would burn 60 calories per 1km walk which equals 1,000 steps. If she completed 10,000 steps in a day her caloric deficit would be 600 calories (60 calories x 10km walk).

If there was an incline of 4 degrees throughout her walk we would multiply 60 x 10 x 0.20 = 120 additional calories burned and the new total caloric deficit would be 600 + 120 = 720 calories

Conclusion

The most effective exercise plan is the one that suits you best. If you're new to this, you might want to start by tracking one simple metric, like the time you spend walking each day and week.

As you notice improvements and move closer to your target, you can start tracking other metrics and keep an eye on the calories you burn while walking.

Thanks for reading!