How Much Do You Walk?
Walking is one of the easiest exercises there is. It doesn’t require any particular equipment or skills. You walk during the day, and may not even notice how much time you spend on that activity. Running errands may result in taking from 2,500 (6) to 4000 steps in an average American adult (2). Some studies state that 10,000 steps a day is a reasonable target for a healthy adult (7), others speculate that this number has no evidence to back it up, and should not be considered the only ideal goal, suggesting that adding even 2,000 extra steps a day will be beneficial (4). So, if even that relatively small amount can improve your health, which number can help you significantly shed pounds? What would be the 20000 steps a day weight loss results? Are there any benefits of a 20000 steps a day weight loss plan?
20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss
Walking 20000 steps a day may be a real challenge for you, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle and you don’t have that much free time. However, it is easier than sweating it out for hours in the gym and, as was mentioned before, doesn’t require any special equipment. All you need is comfy clothes and proper footwear. Picking the right shoes may not only significantly improve your experience, but also reduce the risk of injury. When choosing walking shoes, make sure that they are fairly lightweight, provide good shock absorption, and fit you perfectly (9).
To know how many calories walking 20000 steps a day weight loss burns, you need to consider three factors – your initial parameters (weight, height, sex, age), the distance you are walking, and the intensity of the process. 2000 steps equal approximately 1 mile (1.61 km). So, walking 20000 steps means that you walk 10 miles (16 km) (8). An hour of walking with the speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h) burns 270 calories in a 125-pound person, 334 calories in a 155-pound person, and 400 calories in a 185-pound person (3).
Based on that information, you can calculate, that making 20000 steps a day with the walking speed of 4 mph may burn 675 calories in a 125-pound person, 835 calories in a 155-pound person, and 1000 calories in a 185-pound person. These numbers are pretty impressive, and if you accompany your 20000 steps a day weight loss plan with a healthy nutrition and proper hydration, you may expect visible results in the near time. You can use the calories burnt calculator to calculate how many calories you require, how many you burn, and how many you should consume in order to reach the desired result.
Pros Of 20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss
Walking 20000 steps a day weight loss has the following pros:
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: Reduced Belly Fat (10)
Studies show that walking exercise has proven to fight abdominal obesity, meaning that it reduces the amount of the most harmful type of fat – visceral fat, along with the other belly fat (subcutaneous) (5). The participants of the study spent 400 calories during 50-70-minute walks three times a week for 12 weeks. If you walk 20000 steps a day on a regular basis, you may expect that your abdominal fat will be visibly reduced.
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Better Sleep
When you come home after a long day which involved a lot of physical activity, you are often tired, but satisfied. When you get to bed after taking a shower, it is way easier to fall asleep. And not only fall asleep, but also have a deeper sleep, and feeling more refreshed and rested in the morning. So, after you walk 20000 steps, you may be able to enjoy one of the best sleeps of your life.
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: Improved Stress Management
You may already know that physical exercise is a great way to reduce stress (1) and improve your overall wellness. The same goes for walking. Furthermore, walking can have a therapeutic effect, especially if you are walking somewhere closer to nature, like the park, zoo, countryside, by the river, etc. (11) And walking 20000 steps a day gives you an opportunity to clear your mind, meditate, enjoy the fresh air, sunlight, and nature around you. That way, you reduce your stress by killing two birds with one stone – relaxing and enjoying the nature and performing physical exercise.
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Reduced Joint Pain
Walking increases blood flow in the tense areas and promotes the strengthening of the muscles that surround your joints. So, despite the widespread belief that a lot of walking may damage your joints, it may be beneficial, and even reduce joint pain, if performed properly.
Read More: Oblique Stretches To Guard Yourself From Back Injuries
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: Improved Digestion
A regular walking routine can significantly improve your bowel movements, boosting your digestion and decreasing bloating.
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Boosted Immunity System
Regular walking exercise may greatly improve your overall wellness by boosting your immune system and helping you reduce the risk of different diseases, including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. It can also cut the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and others.
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Cons Of 20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss
Despite its many benefits, walking is not always a safe activity. Walking 20000 steps a day weight loss plan may help you slim down, trim your waistline and improve your overall health, but you should always make sure you do it properly, otherwise, it may have some negative consequences. So, here are some of the cons of 20000 steps a day weight loss:
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: It Takes Time
If you are a busy person who leads a fast-paced life, you may find walking 20000 steps a day a bit too time-consuming. It was stated above, that walking with the speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h) takes about 2.5 hours to take 20000 steps. So, if you spend most of your time at work, and make 3000-4000 steps, you may require spending at least 2 hours of your free time on walking, which some may find not that alluring.
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Makes You Feel Tired
This may sound obvious, as any physical exercise makes you feel tired, but walking 20000 steps a day is not just any physical exercise. It will be especially exhausting if your day involves other types of exercise, strenuous brainwork, or increased stress levels. And if you don’t have a proper sleep, and continue walking 20000 steps a day regularly, you can expect that the feeling of tiredness will follow you wherever you go.
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: Increased Appetite
The main goal of 20000 steps a day weight loss plan is to lose weight, but it becomes a bit more difficult when you begin to feel hungry more often and require bigger amounts of food to satisfy that hunger. It may turn into a real challenge, if you follow a diet that reduces your caloric intake, leaving you with a restricted amount of food that you are allowed to eat.
Walking 20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss Tips
You shouldn’t give up on your goal if you don’t have that much free time. Instead, you can try to increase the number of steps that you take a day while performing your routine tasks. Here are some tips that can help you with that:
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Park Farther From The Entrance
Park your car a bit farther than you are used to. It will make you walk to the entrance, adding to your goal.
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: Walk At Work
If you have free time during your lunch break go out for a walk. The best option is to prepare lunch at home, and go to the closest park, where you will enjoy both your food and nature.
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Walk At Home
You can add some steps to your routine by walking from one spot to another while you wait for something, watch TV, read a book, or talk on the phone.
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20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss: Use The Stairs Instead Of An Elevator
Next time you need to get upstairs, take the stairs instead of an elevator. It doesn’t require any significant effort but will increase the number of burnt calories and the number of steps taken during the day.
Conclusion
Even if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you still spend some time walking. Walking is a physical exercise and also burns calories. If you want to try the 20000 steps a day weight loss, you may expect great results: reduced stomach fat, improved sleep, boosted immune response etc. As good as it sounds, walking 20000 steps a day weight loss has its cons. They include feelings of tiredness and hunger, plus it steals a huge chunk of your day. If you are still determined to take on this challenge, the above-stated tips may help you reach a goal of 20000 steps a day without disturbing your daily routine. However, before starting your walking 20000 steps a day weight loss plan, be sure to consult a specialist.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 10 stress busters (2018, nhs.uk)
- 10,000 steps a day: Too low? Too high? (2020, mayoclinic.org)
- Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights (2018, health.harvard.edu)
- Do you really need to take 10,000 steps a day for better health? (2019, health.harvard.edu)
- Effect of walking exercise on abdominal fat, insulin resistance and serum cytokines in obese women (2014, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- How Many Steps a Day Do You Really Need? (2019, webmd.com)
- How many steps/day are enough? for adults (2011, ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com)
- Steps-to-Distance Conversion Chart (n.d., uwyo.edu)
- Walking shoes: Features and fit that keep you moving (2020, mayoclinic.org)
- Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health (2019, mayoclinic.org)
- Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise (2018, nbcnews.com)
