Walking is a great way to burn calories. It also aids in
improving cardiovascular health and it strengthens leg muscles which
reduce risks of falls and other injuries. Because of these benefits,
doctors and weight loss experts will utter the mantra that a way to
improve your health is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Avid walkers
take this to the next level and wear a pedometer and tweet their daily
steps.
So a recent study about the habits of the severely obese and walking was disheartening. The subjects in the
normal weight range (BMI < 25) took 989 more steps than the subjects in the overweigh category (BMI 25-30), 2,069 more steps than those in the obese category (BMI 30-35) and a whopping 3,355 more steps than the subjects in the severely obese category (BMI > 35). (1) Walking an additional 3,355 steps a day equates to an additional ten pounds of weight loss a year. Over a few years, the difference in steps could account for the variance in weight between the normal and severely obese.
Why do Overweight People Walk Less?
So which is it? Are the people in the normal range there because they walk more or are they there because they can walk more? Thirty-four pounds separates a 5'8" person who is on the upper end of normal and the lower end of obese. An additional twenty-seven pounds separates the obese person from the severely obese person. If you're adding, that's sixty-one pounds between the normal weight person and a person at the lower end of the severely obese range. If you are in the normal range and think the obese person is just lazy, put a thirty pound jacket on for a day. How much walking would you want to do? Now double that and you know how the severely obese person feels.
I think the weight gain and the reduced walking work together as part of a weight gain conspiracy. The weight gain makes walking more difficult and the fewer steps you take the more likely you are to gain weight. When you reach the severely obese category, walking becomes a chore. Walking up a flight of stairs would start to look like a daunting task. It is clear that a person who carries excess weight would be less inclined to walk more than they have to.
How do I walk more to lose weight?
The benefits of walking should not be discarded. The overweight person walked fewer and fewer steps as they made their way from normal to overweight to obese and finally severely obese. It stands to reason that one way to begin losing weight is to start walking a little more. The 10,000 step a day goal is worthy one. But you don't need to reach it tomorrow. Instead of walking 10,000 steps a day, start with five thousand steps. Purchase a pedometer or other step counter and track it. The mere task of measuring may increase your steps. As your strength improves and as you lose weight you will be able to increase your step count. Before you know it, you will be on your way to 10,000 steps a day and better health.
Reference
So a recent study about the habits of the severely obese and walking was disheartening. The subjects in the
x
x
x
normal weight range (BMI < 25) took 989 more steps than the subjects in the overweigh category (BMI 25-30), 2,069 more steps than those in the obese category (BMI 30-35) and a whopping 3,355 more steps than the subjects in the severely obese category (BMI > 35). (1) Walking an additional 3,355 steps a day equates to an additional ten pounds of weight loss a year. Over a few years, the difference in steps could account for the variance in weight between the normal and severely obese.
Why do Overweight People Walk Less?
So which is it? Are the people in the normal range there because they walk more or are they there because they can walk more? Thirty-four pounds separates a 5'8" person who is on the upper end of normal and the lower end of obese. An additional twenty-seven pounds separates the obese person from the severely obese person. If you're adding, that's sixty-one pounds between the normal weight person and a person at the lower end of the severely obese range. If you are in the normal range and think the obese person is just lazy, put a thirty pound jacket on for a day. How much walking would you want to do? Now double that and you know how the severely obese person feels.
I think the weight gain and the reduced walking work together as part of a weight gain conspiracy. The weight gain makes walking more difficult and the fewer steps you take the more likely you are to gain weight. When you reach the severely obese category, walking becomes a chore. Walking up a flight of stairs would start to look like a daunting task. It is clear that a person who carries excess weight would be less inclined to walk more than they have to.
How do I walk more to lose weight?
The benefits of walking should not be discarded. The overweight person walked fewer and fewer steps as they made their way from normal to overweight to obese and finally severely obese. It stands to reason that one way to begin losing weight is to start walking a little more. The 10,000 step a day goal is worthy one. But you don't need to reach it tomorrow. Instead of walking 10,000 steps a day, start with five thousand steps. Purchase a pedometer or other step counter and track it. The mere task of measuring may increase your steps. As your strength improves and as you lose weight you will be able to increase your step count. Before you know it, you will be on your way to 10,000 steps a day and better health.
Reference
- Daniel K. White, Tuhina Neogi, et al., The Association of Obesity with Walking Independent of Knee Pain: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study, J Obes. 2012; 2012: 261974. Published online 2012 May 7. doi: 10.1155/2012/261974
Gregg Ghelfi is founder and contributor to http://fitinthemiddle.com.
Fit in the Middle is dedicated to providing information and resources
on nutrition, fitness and weight loss. We invite you to read our blog at
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