You already know that walking is one of the easiest and most accessible forms of exercise for almost anyone. So you might already be planning to incorporate walking into your weight loss plan.

But how much walking do you need to do, in order to reach your goals? That’s the question you’re really asking.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day (or 150 minutes per week) will help you develop a healthier heart and ward off other common health conditions. That should be the bare minimum of walking that you consider in order to get into better shape, health-wise.

But if you want to lose weight or prevent weight regain after a successful weight loss plan, the College recommends a bit more activity. Aim for 200-300 minutes of walking per week, which would translate to one-hour walks, four or five days per week. Keep in mind that moderate intensity is recommended, so you might need to challenge yourself a bit as you get into better shape. Aim for a walking routine that includes some hills, consider pushing a stroller or otherwise adding weight, or include other challenges such as bursts of speed (interval training).

If you want to do more than that, you’ll burn even more calories and boost your results a bit more. In particular, combining some strength training with your walking routine can help you to build lean muscle tissue, which will bump up your metabolism round the clock. In other words, carrying more muscle can mean that you burn more calories even when you’re at the computer, lounging on the couch, or sleeping.

For more help with your weight loss plan, give us a call. We can help you understand which foods you should be eating, and how much you need to exercise in order to achieve realistic goals for your body type.