Walking can help you burn major fat if you follow Tiff Hall's advice

It beats your hardcore gym sessions - by far. 

Image: Instagram/@tiffhall_xo

It beats your hardcore gym sessions - by far. 

We do it every day and most of us don’t even think about it. Do you know what I’m talking about? Walking.

Yep, the simple act of walking is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and it’s so underrated.

Walking is an effective (and free) way to improve and maintain our overall health. It also perfectly complements other styles of training.

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If you think that walking’s boring or not as sexy as yoga or weight training, you’re missing out. Here are just a few of my favourite reasons to put your best foot forward:

1. Burns more energy

A brisk walk can get your heart rate up and burn calories. Speed and distance will determine how much you burn, but it’s a gentle way to work out at your own pace. To increase the intensity, try walking on different terrains and up hills – walking up hills and stairs will also help tone your glutes, so it’s a win-win.

2. No equipment required

I love using weights and a resistance band, but if I’m travelling or have my toddler with me, there’s not always room for equipment. That’s why walking is so good. You don’t need anything – just a good pair of walking shoes or runners, and you’re good to go.

I do recommend investing in a good pair of shoes – it’ll help prevent hip, knee and back injuries. A specialist store like Rebel or Athlete’s Foot have trained staff who’ll fit your feet correctly and can recommend styles based on your goals. Don’t be afraid to choose something colourful.

3. It preserves lean muscle

If you’re on a lifestyle overhaul and have adopted a new meal plan, you may initially lose some muscle as well as body fat. However, we need muscle as it’s more metabolically active than fat. Walking can help preserve lean muscle, and increase its strength and endurance.

4. It’s a wonderful warm-up and cool-down

I strongly encourage warming up and cooling down before and after exercise. Walking before a workout gets your muscles ready and increases blood flow, while walking after a workout helps your body return to its resting state and can help prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

5. Releases feel-good hormones

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, walking can help improve your mental state. This is because when you’re walking, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with receptors in the brain that reduce pain and improve mood. It also increases serotonin levels in the brain – a neurotransmitter that influences mood. So, you can literally walk off that bad mood!

6. It tones the legs and booty

You don’t have to complete 100 squats and lunges to tone your lower half. Walking is low impact and is a safe way to strengthen the muscles in your legs. To build up more strength, ditch the office lift or escalator and take the stairs (your glutes will thank you), or leave the car at home and walk to the train station.

7. You only need 30 minutes

For optimum results, try walking 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. And by walking, I mean briskly – enough to break a little sweat and get your heart rate up.

8. It’s social

Walking is the perfect excuse to meet up with friends. You can meet at your favourite park, lake or beach track, and catch up on the latest goss. It’s also a great way to keep each other accountable and support each other’s fitness journeys.

Tiffiny Hall is a fitness expert and founder of online health and fitness program TIFFXO. 

Originally published as Walking can help you burn major fat if you follow Tiff Hall's advice