It’s obvious that moving more is good for you, and you can’t get more basic than going for a good old-fashioned walk.

But why is it good for you? How does it contribute to your weight loss goals? What’s the best way to do it for maximum efficiency? And how do you stop it from being so boring? Put your walking shoes on and let’s find out…

Why is walking good for you?

Walking is an underrated way of staying fit as it can be easy going. It’s a fantastic way of getting active though, improving your fitness, along with bringing you these benefits:

  • Regular walking is good for your heart
  • Prevents heart disease and high blood pressure
  • Strengths bones
  • Improves balance
  • Boosts your mood
  • It’s low-impact exercise that doesn’t put much stress on your joints.

Walking for weight loss

If you’re walking to help you achieve your weight loss goals, a gentle stroll won’t have much of an impact. Instead, you need to make sure that you walk fast enough and long enough to have an effect.

  • Aim for a brisk walk at a moderate intensity. This means walking fast enough that your heart rate goes up. You should struggle to sing at this level, although you should still be able to talk.
  • The NHS recommends you aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. Brisk walking counts and it also helps to reduce the time you spend sitting or lying down.
  • As your fitness improves, you might find that this isn’t enough for you. If this is you, you can work on increasing intensity, duration or distance.
  • A 30-minute walk can burn up to 200 calories. But this depends on many factors, including your weight and the intensity of your walk.

What do I need to start walking?

Good news: there are not many things you’ll need. A comfortable pair of trainers, maybe a bottle of water if it’s warm outside, and some sun cream at the height of summer. If you want to track your walks, the app Strava is a good ‘un that’s available on iOS and Android.

You mean you want me to walk when I’m not even going anywhere?!

If you think aimless walking to get your steps in sounds like no fun, we hear you. For all its virtues, walking as a form of exercise can be a bit dull, unless you’re lucky enough to live near a particularly scenic route. Luckily there are ways of making it a bit more fun:

Geocaching

All you need to geocache is a GPS-enabled device (your phone) and a free account. Find coordinates and put them into Google Maps, or check out the Geocaching website here.

  • It’s perfect for a weekend walk
  • It’s a real-life treasure hunt!
  • It can be exciting for kids and gets them off the Xbox for a few hours

If you find anything in a container, it’s good etiquette to only take it if you can leave something of equal or greater value.

Audiobooks

Stephen Fry credits walking with audiobooks helped him to lose six stone in 2019, walking EIGHT MILES every morning. If it’s good enough for Mr Fry, it’s good enough for us.

Have a look online for free audiobooks. Project Gutenberg has loads of classic books here. You might be lucky and find some good free ones on YouTube too.

If you don’t mind paying, there’s Audible (Google ‘Audible promo’ to find offers to keep the cost down – at the time of writing there’s a 3 months for 99p offer on). Spotify has recently added audiobooks to its service, and if you’ve got a pro account you get 15 hours of audiobooks free a month.

Podcasts

Speaking of Spotify, you’ll find plenty of podcasts there too. Search for MAN v FAT under podcasts and you’ll find a few created by MAN v FAT players, which is super cool.

Finding a good route

One of the reasons walking is a good option is because you can do it anywhere, although a walk through the industrial part of town is not quite as appealing as a traipse through lush countryside.

Luckily, there are many free tools online that will help you find a nice route near you. The National Trust has a handy list of walking routes here, and Walking Britain and The Ramblers both have search functions to find a nice walk near you.

Your local council will have details of local walking routes too. Google your council’s name + public rights of way, or council name + walking routes. Even if you think walking is too gentle for you (check you out!), every little helps when it comes to upping your activity.

Step Up Your Game with MAN v FAT

If you’re serious about losing weight and keeping it off, walking alone is great but combining it with the MAN v FAT community takes it to the next level. Track your walks, set goals, and compete in weekly challenges with fellow members who get exactly what you’re going through. You’ll get accountability, motivation, and tips from people who have been there, plus the chance to celebrate every milestone together.

Put your trainers on, log your walks, and join the challenge today because every step counts and in MAN v FAT, no step is ever taken alone.