Don't Run If You Want To Lose Fat.
Do This Instead.
For some of us, the changes in hormone levels in our 40s can make fat accumulation easier than ever and our previous weight loss strategies don’t seem to work anymore.
So what can we do? Can walking be the solution?
Let’s begin by examining this meta-analysis, which is a review of many different studies to figure out what the combined results show.
The study included over 1100 participants, examining various walking interventions for weight loss and cardiovascular health.
In the trials, participants were only instructed to walk more, with no changes to their diets or other exercise routines.
The studies had people walking four times a week for 40 minutes per session for about 35 weeks.
The findings showed that, on average, individuals lost two pounds (about 1 Kg) or one percentage point of body fat, a significant result given that no dietary changes were made.
Interestingly, the control group, those who did not incorporate walking to their routine, actually gained a few pounds on average.
This indicates that adding walking not only prevented the usual weight gain associated with aging but also led to weight loss, amounting to around five pounds (2,2 Kg) compared to those who didn't add walking.
The meta-analysis also revealed that incorporating 40 minutes of walking four times a week resulted in a reduction of blood pressure by 1 to 1.5 points for both systolic and diastolic measures, along with an increase in VO2 max by three, indicating improved cardiovascular fitness.
Let’s now have a look at this study with 20 middle-aged obese women. 10 of them were assigned to the exercise group and they were asked to walk 3 days per week for 50-70 minutes, while the other 10, as part of the control group maintained their sedentary lifestyle.
After 12 weeks, researchers reported significant reductions in subcutaneous AND visceral fat for the exercise group as well as improved insulin resistance, which is one of the causes to fat accumulation.
How many steps should we take daily?
In this study published in 2022, researchers analyzed data from over 6000 participants where 73% were female with an age between 41 and 67.
The data was collected over 4 years from people’s activity trackers.
The results showed that taking more steps every day was linked to a lower risk of getting diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux, depression, obesity, and sleep apnea.
The study suggests that increasing the number of steps you take might help prevent these health problems.
To be more specific, 8,000–9,000 steps per day seems like the ideal number to reduce the risk of many common conditions but feel free to round up the number to 10000 or even higher.
Does intensity matter?
What about the intensity of our walk? Does it matter?
Let’s have a look at this study with 25 post-menopausal women who had to walk for 4.8 kilometers 4 days/week for 15 weeks.
One group had to walk at a pace of 6.6 km/h while the other was keeping a pace of 5.5 km/h.
After a total of 30 weeks fat measurements were also taken in 16 of the 25 women.
With this study, researchers were looking not only at fat loss but also at bone strength, which is also an important measurement for women over 40.
Let’s have a look at the findings:
The women who started with more body fat and walked slowly lost more fat, especially around their belly, over 30 weeks.
Walking fast didn't specifically help lose belly fat as they thought, but it did help lose fat in other parts of the body.
Interestingly, walking slowly for a longer time helped them lose more fat overall compared to walking fast, even though fast walking is usually considered more intense.
They concluded that slow walking might be better for people who have more body fat to begin with.
Doing longer exercise sessions might be even more effective for losing fat.
So, in simple terms, whether you walk fast or slow, both can help you stay healthy, but if you want to lose more fat, especially if you're starting with more, taking a longer stroll might be the way to go!
To maximize fat burning during your walking routine, aim for peak fat oxidation levels, which represent the optimal intensity for burning fat.
The study suggests that this peak occurs at about 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.
For example, since I’m 45 my estimated maximum heart rate would be 175.
Walking at an intensity that keeps you around 60 percent of your maximum heart rate is recommended.
For women, the study found that the ideal walking speed for maximizing fat burning was around 3 miles per hour or 4,8 Km/h.
This helps ensure that you're in the sweet spot, burning a significant amount of fat without transitioning too much into burning carbohydrates at higher intensities.
Walking vs. running
Some sports experts make a point that walking is more beneficial than running when it comes to fat loss because even if you burn more calories when you run, you burn more fat for fuel when walking rather than muscle when running.
So, since in our 40s we should be focusing on preserving muscle while losing fat, walking is supposed to be a better option than running.
Another important point is that running might make you hungrier than walking and we won’t want to consume extra calories, especially if some of them might come from unhealthy food.
Does the surface matter?
I believe we all agree that walking in a forest, is different than walking on the pavement or on the beach. So, how does the surface we walk on influence our walk?
In this study scientists studied how 10 healthy adults (5 men and 5 women age between 18 and 48) walk on different surfaces - sidewalk, dirt, gravel, grass, and woodchips - and how it affects their energy use.
They found that walking on uneven or challenging surfaces makes people use more energy.
Even though most people's walking style didn't change much, the variation in their steps (like how high they lift their feet or how wide their steps are) increased on bumpy ground, and this made them use more energy.
This other study investigated how walking on uneven terrain affects the body's movements and energy expenditure.
Walking on bumpy surfaces makes people change how they walk – their steps become different lengths and widths, and their muscles work more.
So, walking outside on natural surfaces is harder for our muscles and makes us use more energy!
Long walks vs multiple short walks
Most studies we have seen so far required the participants to walk for 40 minutes or longer.
However, breaking up your steps with multiple walks throughout the day instead of one long walk can promote consistent activity and stabilize blood sugar levels.
While you can still incorporate a long walk in the morning and add shorter walks throughout the day, the key is to avoid having one active part of your day and the rest sedentary.
Breaking up your steps and walks throughout the day prevents prolonged periods of sitting, contributing to more stable blood sugar levels by engaging your muscles frequently throughout the day.
Every time you stand up and move, you are activating your entire body.
Taking these breaks has the added benefit of reducing screen time
Breaks like getting up to grab a glass of water or going to the toilet also count.
Inside vs. outside walk
Walk outside when possible, as exposure to natural environments can reduce the stress hormone cortisol which when elevated is directly linked to abdominal weight gain.
To maximize the benefits of your walk, vary your walking environments beyond just the treadmill.
However, if that's your only option, walking on a treadmill is still better than not walking at all.
Best time to go for a walk
The best time to go for a walk is the time that works for you depending on your schedule and commitments.
However, if your schedule allows it, prioritize your walks outside right after sunrise and after your meals.
Morning walks can help in setting your natural circadian rhythm which improves your sleep cycle, promoting restful sleep.
After-meal walks, even just 10 minutes, aid our muscles in absorbing excess blood sugar accumulated after eating.
This minimizes the need for a significant insulin spike, the hormone responsible for storing fat, as our muscles use the sugar immediately.
Walking after meals not only helps lower blood sugar levels but also contributes to stabilizing them reducing sugar cravings.
How to increase steps in your day
Here are a few ways you can increase the steps you take daily:
park further away
take the stairs
walk during your calls
have a walk-chat with your friends
drink more so that you go more to the toilet
get a walking desk
plan your walks and add them to your calendar
go for a 10 min walk after your meals
And don’t forget that consistency is key.
Another way to shed some fat in your 40s is by incorporating intermittent fasting into your life but make sure to avoid the 15 mistakes I talk about in this post.
Your Turn:
Are you going to increase your daily step count?
About Me
I’m a 45-year-old Holistic Nutrition Coach with a master’s in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and I help busy women in their 40s to take control of their health and thrive despite the roller coaster journey that is our 40s. I feel you, girl!
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