Today it has become very fashionable to count the number of steps taken, so many people are interested in how much they need to walk a day. People install special applications with pedometers on smartphones, buy heart rate monitors, fitness bracelets, and gadgets independently calculate steps and approximate mileage. This is very convenient and practical, because the devices, in addition to counting steps, show the time, calorie consumption, contain counters for water consumed, food eaten, etc.
So how long does it take to walk to complete your daily quota? The answer depends on your goal.
- Slimming;
- For health promotion;
- To increase resistance to stress, calming down, raising the mood;
- Walking is an affordable form of physical activity during pregnancy;
- To keep fit in old age;
- Rehabilitation after sports injuries, sprains, joints.
How much walk per day?
To begin with, let's find out how much you need to walk a day for health - to keep muscles in good shape, strengthen the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and also cheer yourself up.
Nobody can provide you with exact numbers, since their value depends too much on the individual characteristics of each organism. In addition to the goal, it is important to correctly assess the level of your physical fitness. A person's weight plays an important role - the higher he is, the more difficult it will be for him to overcome long distances.
On average, for health, you need to walk 8000 steps a day, while the distance can be divided into parts. The total mileage will be approximately 4.5 km. These data are provided by the World Health Organization.
Since your goal is not to get out of your comfort zone in order to lose weight, but to maintain physical activity, your goal is to move throughout the day. This is enough to strengthen the muscles, heart, lungs, and disperse the blood.
Avoid elevators and escalators, walk to shops, park away from destinations, and take an evening stroll in the park. It is necessary to try, if possible, to abandon cars and public transport.
How much do you need to walk during pregnancy and in old age
During pregnancy, it is not necessary to stop sports activities, but it is desirable to reduce the load. Choose gentle exercises, which, by the way, include walking. The same can be said for sports in old age.
For people who need to exercise in moderation, the WHO recommends the following walking norm per day - 6,000 steps. The distance covered will be 3-4 km.
At the same time, if you have been active throughout your life or before pregnancy, you do not need to reduce the number of steps. You just need to walk a little slower and listen carefully to the signals of your body.
Many of our readers, we are sure, will confirm that during pregnancy they wound up such kilometers that they never dreamed of before an interesting position.
We emphasize once again that the concept of the norm is very individual here. Most importantly, in the presence of diseases or potential risks, be sure to consult with your supervising doctor.
How to calculate the rate for weight loss?
Walking for weight loss is very effective, it has been proven hundreds of times. Walking is the same kind of aerobic exercise as running, swimming, or, for example, cycling. However, it is still considered not very intense exercise, so if you want to lose weight, you need to consider the following recommendations:
- No matter how many steps you recommend walking a day, if you don't follow a moderate diet, you won't be able to lose weight. You need to spend more calories than you absorb;
- The fat burning process starts only after 30 minutes of active workout. Therefore, to lose weight, you will need to walk at least 6-8 km a day. This distance at a fast pace suggests that a person will take about 10,000 steps, spending about an hour training.
- You need to move, maintaining the pulse in the working area - about 130 beats. / minute. This is a comfortable pace for just this kind of workout.
- Answering the question how many times a day you need to walk in order to lose weight, we emphasize that the most important thing is to withstand the recommended duration of the session. If you divide the norm into 2-3 parts, you will not overcome the line when calorie consumption starts from adipose tissue. Yes, you will strengthen your muscles, take a great walk, breathe oxygen. But don't lose weight. To burn fat, you will have to get out of your comfort zone and work hard. How long the process will take is up to you.
How to develop the walking habit?
So, you now know how many steps a person should walk per day, to be more precise, you are familiar with the minimum standards. There is no upper limit, because if you want, you can walk two or three times more.
- Maintain a comfortable pace, drink water, and rest. Try to walk wherever it is convenient. The body will certainly thank you for such a habit.
- A good motivation is given by gadgets that suggest and control how many kilometers a day you need to walk, depending on your weight, age, goal and other conditions. Smart devices will send a notification that they are behind schedule, or, conversely, congratulate them on overfulfilling the plan. It is very convenient to use them. You can send your results to friends, share your achievements with subscribers on social networks, please a doctor, mom or husband.
- Various walking marathons give excellent results in habit formation. They allow you to participate and win, look for like-minded people, find new friends. Google it, you will be surprised how many walking marathons are regularly held everywhere today!
So, we have figured out how many kilometers you need to walk per day: 10 km is ideal for both weight loss and health. Try to adhere to this norm as much as you can, and try to increase it. I wish you health and good mood.
