Considerations

Walking seems straight forward. Placing one foot in front of the other and moving will make you lose weight. But different factors influence the amount of weight you will lose. How fast do you walk? How much do you weigh? Of course the faster you walk, the more you feel like you are working out. However, speed actually leads to the burning of glycogen instead of fat-meaning you burn your energy reserve, instead of fat. A much heavier person will also tend to burn glycogen before fat. So, these are factors to consider.

Expert Insight

According to certified trainer Ron Brown, in general, the calories you will use walking per mile are "equal to double your weight in pounds divided by 3.5." For instance, if you weigh 100 pounds, you will burn 100 x 2 = 200 / 3.5 = 57 calories per mile. If you weigh 200 pounds, however, 200 x 2 = 400 / 3.5 = 114 calories.

Effects

A pound of body fat is composed of 3500 calories. This is the equivalent of about 2 days of calorie intake-or a lot of walking. According to the figures above, a 100-pound person would need to walk about 61 miles to lose one pound of weight. The 200-pound person, however, would only have to walk about 31 miles.

Benefits

Of course there are benefits to walking, even if you are not up to walking a pound off each and every day. Walking will strengthen and tone your muscles, improve your breathing, lift your mood, and can quickly become a social activity, when you walk with a friend. Each method of weight loss has its advantages and drawbacks. Consider your circumstances and desires before choosing your approach.

In Comparison

Losing a pound of weight requires many hours and miles of effort. However, there are other ways to lose weight that can be as effective as walking, or more, in shorter time. For instance: Jumping rope increases calories burned to about 700 in an hour. In about an hour a day, 5 days a week, you will burn a pound a week this way. An aerobic exercise routine will use about 500 calories in an hour, so you could burn that pound in a 7 day week of exercising an hour a day. While walking at a 'normal' rate of speed will burn 250-300 calories per hour (meaning you would have to walk 2 hours a day 6 days a week for that pound), power walking (at a fast pace) will boost your loss up to around 600 calories an hour. Riding a bicycle will use about the same.

Conclusions

Obviously, walking to lose weight is good-but not to the exclusion of every other consideration. The best way to decide a plan of action to lose weight is to know your goal and what factors matter most to you. Do you want an activity where you and a friend can socialize, or is intensity most important? Do you want to concentrate on a certain part of your body or do you look for an all around calorie burner? Also, other ways to suplement your weight loss goals need to be considered. Eliminate sugary foods and drinks. Eat lean meats. Avoid breads and starches. Count calories. Consider all your choices-and lose that pound!

Source:

Body Fat Guide

Women's Health

Resource:

Walk off Weight