Walking for Weight Loss: A Cautionary Tale

Walking for weight loss is a method of exercise that has been promoted fairly heavily by some in recent years, however, the “whole story” behind walking for weight loss is generally not told. The problem with walking as a means of burning fat is that it is not really a cardio exercise that really pushes the body to lose weight. In order to understand why this is the case, one needs to understand the common physiology of thermogenics.

What thermogenics refers to is the process where the body raises its temperature during aerobic exercises and this raising of the body temperature leads to fat burning. Running is a perfect example of an exercise that generates heat. Swimming, on the other hand, is a horrible example of a thermogenic because being submerged in water makes the raising of body temperature tough to occur, if not impossible.

This does not mean that walking for weight loss is a bad idea. If one walks long distances regularly, then there will be a reduction of calories that will lead to weight loss. But, the body will never develop the “ripped to shreds” look that running or sprinting will deliver. Plus, walking long distances (or jogging long distances) can lead to the body totally burning up muscle for fuel which is certainly not something that anyone would truly want. Fat is the target, not muscle.

What is so bad about burning muscle when walking for weight loss? Well, if the muscles burns and the fat remains, a person will look like a smaller fat person as opposed to the larger fat person they were. Muscle also burns up calories in order to repair itself or grow so eliminating muscle mass will also lead to more fat build up as there is nothing eliminating the calories anymore. Walking for weight loss is a wise idea only if it is done smartly. If not, it can be counterproductive.