Walking to Accelerate Fat Loss

Walking to Accelerate Fat Loss

How many times have you heard, ‘my metabolism is so slow, I workout an hour every day and can’t lose weight’? Chances are, some of the people saying that don’t have a metabolism problem at all (there are exceptions of course). They have a movement problem, a lack of movement problem. ‘But I work out an hour every day.’ Well, what do you do the rest of your day? Are you sitting in front of a computer or desk? Do you then cap off the day sitting or laying on the couch? If so, you would still be considered sedentary even if working out on a consistent basis. Working out only contributes a small amount to the total energy expended in a day. Yes, a large portion is metabolism, but up to 50% of your caloric expenditure is from JUST MOVING. This is why the NEAT principle (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is so important. This is all the calories burned in a day that is not sleeping, eating, or from exercise. It’s just from low-grade activity.

I’m talking about standing instead of sitting, cleaning, shopping, or anything that involves even a little movement. Even fidgeting by tapping your feet or fingers and twirling your hair can burn up to 350 more calories a day. This is why a movement tracker (like a FitBit) can be a valuable tool toward your weight loss journey. Not to calculate an estimated amount of calories burned but rather to be aware of your average day-to-day step count. Theoretically, you could think that you were active but may end up getting a total of 3,000-4,000 steps a day (which is what the average american gets). This is when tracking can be a great way to increase awareness of activity.

Point is: caloric expenditure should not be restricted just to cardio. Throw in a 15 min walk either before the work day or during your lunch break. The calories burned will accumulate and next thing you know you will effortlessly get much closer to your health and fat loss goals. Seriously, this is so simple yet so overlooked.