Best-kept Exercise Secrets for Burning More Fat While Walking, Says Trainer — Eat This Not That

When it comes to losing fat and getting in shape, an all-around healthy lifestyle is key. That starts with a nutritious diet full of vegetables and lean protein, in addition to strength training and cardio. A very underrated form of cardio that’s great for fat loss is walking. It’s something you do every day, but you can take your training game to the next level with these best kept training secrets to burn more fat while walking.

If you’re curious, read on to learn about these expert-approved tricks that will help you on your fat-loss journey. And next, check out the 6 best exercises for strong and toned arms in 2022, says trainer.

Walking your daily steps is linked to so many amazing health benefits. When you need stress relief, a mood boost, or an energy boost, it’s safe to say that walking will be your new best friend. Corresponding Mayo Clinicthis type of cardio is also a great way to keep a healthy weight in check and shed excess fat.

Whether you go solo or grab a hiking partner, this low-impact, low-intensity exercise is great for active recovery and can be done almost anywhere. There are a few things you can incorporate into your routine, which we’ll get to now. Burning more fat while walking has never been easier! So lace up your sneakers, find a fun route and let’s go.

Also see: What the Science Says About the Cardio Habits That Slow Aging

A great way to make this exercise more challenging and increase your calorie burn is to carry a backpack or weighted backpack while taking your steps. The extra load you carry forces your body to work harder so it can burn even more fat. I recommend starting with 5 to 8 pounds and working your way up.

Another trick to increasing your fat burning is to incorporate bodyweight exercises into your routine. You can mix a combination of squats, lunges, push-ups, butt kickers, and high knees for either time or reps. This increases your heart rate and engages other muscles in your body that are not used when walking. Do this after you’ve reached a certain distance during your walk (e.g. every 1/4 or 1/2 mile).6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Related: The #1 Workout for an Incredibly Healthy Lifestyle, Says Trainer

One of my favorite ways to make walking more challenging is to walk up hills. When you walk uphill, your glutes and calves get extra activation, which in turn dramatically increases your calorie burn compared to walking on a flat surface. Find a hill near you and do multiple laps up and down to get your heart rate up and your legs hard!

Tim Liu, CSCS