Walking is Not Enough

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see people walking - especially the elderly. It keeps the body moving, we get some fresh air, and we allow our mind and body to reset.

However, walking is not enough.

It’s not enough for fat loss.

It’s not enough to greatly improve cardiovascular function.

It’s not enough for longevity.

Unless you’re walking for hours a day at a decent pace while also staying in a caloric deficit, you won’t lose fat from walking.

The only way to lose fat is to be in a caloric deficit. The only way to be in a caloric deficit is by eating less calories than you are burning. So, if you’re burning 2000 calories a day but you’re eating 2500 calories, you won’t lose fat. In fact, you’ll gain it. However, if you burn 2000 calories and eat 1800 calories, then you’ll start to burn fat.

To burn 500 calories through walking requires on average 60-90 minutes of brisk walking, whereas it takes on average 25-45 minutes of a HIIT workout to burn 500 calories.

It’s much more efficient to do resistance training and intense interval training to increase calorie burning.

Unless you’re walking for 45+ minutes and staying in a Zone 2 heart rate zone, it’s not enough to improve cardiovascular longevity and VO2 max.

Zone 2 training is a great way to improve basic metabolic functions. However, to properly improve cardio function (VO2 max) and to try to ensure cardiovascular longevity, it’s best to include higher intensity trainings as well. This because higher intensity workouts build the heart muscle and helps maximize oxygen intake (in other words: makes your heart stronger).

Unless you’re walking while doing squats and push ups, you’re not doing enough to reduce or prevent sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is the degradation and progressive loss of muscle mass over time. As we get older, sarcopenia can become a very impactful reality. Daily walks are not enough to avoid the onset of sarcopenia. However, incorporating resistance training is the only scientifically proven way to delay sarcopenia onset and actually stimulate muscle growth and strength: key elements in improving longevity.

Key Takeaways:

• Walking is a great way to reset mentally and physically.

• Walking is not enough to attain cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

• Walking is not enough for longevity and slowing down sarcopenia.

• It is important to note that this article is not suggesting people should not walk, it is suggesting that walking as a sole “exercise” is not enough for proper body maintenance over time. Other types of exercises are essential in promoting longevity and slowing down natural phenomena such as sarcopenia.