Mississauga and Oakville Pain Clinic offering chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy and orthotic services to residents of Churchill Meadows InMississauga
Mississauga and Oakville Pain Clinic offering chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy and orthotic services to residents of Churchill Meadows InMississauga
By Dr Malik
Yes you read that correctly! Walking is a great way to burn calories and reduce excess fat storage in the body. It’s a simple exercise that can improve your cardiovascular health, manage weight loss, prevent diabetes and improve mental cognition.
How does walking burn fat?
One would expect that the body would burn more fat during more vigorous activities such as jogging or running, however that is not the case. It is difficult for the body to use fat as a source of energy during vigorous activities because of two main reasons: Firstly, fat is difficult to burn as it requires more oxygen; and oxygen is in short supply during vigorous activities. The second problem with burning fat is that it takes time for the body to convert it to energy. This is a dealbreaker, as the body needs an immediate energy source that is easy to digest. This is why the body consumes more carbohydrates than fat during such activities.
More fat is burned during slower-paced exercises, as the body has more time to turn the fat into energy. Oxygen is also more abundant, as slower-paced exercises do not require as much oxygen as vigorous activities do, leaving more available to burn fat.
Walking can burn just as many calories as running, however it takes a longer time as the rate of calorie burn is lower. For example here is the typical burn rate per kilometre for a person who is approximately 200lbs heavy:
| Activity | Speed (Km/hr) | Calories Per Km |
| Walking Slow | 3.2 | 73 |
| Walking Moderate | 5.1 | 60 |
| Walking Fast | 8 | 87 |
| Running Slow | 8 | 87 |
| Running Moderate | 11 | 81 |
| Running Fast | 16 | 76 |
The results are quite incredible, a slow walk burns more calories per kilometer (73) than a moderate walk (60), and burns almost as many calories as running fast does (76). To see your calorie estimate, check out this calculator by Adidas here.
It should be emphasized that all six of these categories burned more calories than watching tv!
Don’t underestimate the benefits a one-hour walk can have on your health! Not only will walking help you lose weight, it will improve your mood, improve your cognition, help prevent back pain, and will keep your body younger. Walking is an easy activity to get into, requiring little gear, but providing tremendous health benefits.
If you are planning to start walking, and would like a free consultation to get started we can help. Our clinic can offer advice on warm-up stretches, footwear, clothing and more. Call our clinic today at 905-593-1605.
I hope this article has motivated you to start walking.
Stay Active, Stay Healthy!
