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Walk Your Way to Weight Loss: Exploring the Link Between Walking and BMI Reduction

Radhika Dadhich

Perex: To determine how much to walk according to BMI, you must understand the relationship between body mass index and weight loss. Walking is a low-risk exercise and has been medically proven to be one of the best ways to lose weight.

For an obese person, losing weight is essential to keep diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer at bay. The best way to ensure that you have a healthy BMI. Your BMI must range from 18.5 kg/m2to 25 kg/m2. Continue to read to learn more about walking and BMI reduction.

What is the relationship between walking and BMI?

If you perform a standard regression analysis, you will find that BMI and walking are inversely associated. This means the more you walk, the greater your chances of weight loss. 

How is walking healthy?

Walking is healthy not only for reducing weight but also for controlling several diseases. According to doctors, obesity can result in several illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and cardiac problems. One of the easiest ways to manage weight is to maintain a healthy diet and walk regularly.

How much walking should each person do?

The distance you must walk will depend on your health and weight. However, on average, you must walk for at least 30 minutes. This will be 3000 to 5000 steps for an average person. You must walk for at least 1.5 to 3 miles per day. Preferably, you must walk 10000 steps daily, which is walking for 60 to 90 minutes. 

What about walking in moderately obese and very obese people?

For obese and very obese individuals, walking for 30 minutes daily is essential. For obese individuals, it is essential to increase their walking pace as it is more effective in helping them lose weight. When it comes to walking for obese individuals, you must keep a few things in mind, viz., the distance you cover, the time taken to cover the distance, and how regularly you walk. Walking at least four days a week briskly for 30 minutes daily will affect your BMI.

How many calories, and therefore potentially body weight, are burned by walking?

Walking burns calories, and walking a mile daily can help you lose nearly 100 calories. Here, too, you must remember the speed at which you walk. For example, walking a mile in 12 minutes will lose 8.3 calories per minute. However, if you cover the same distance in 20 minutes, you will burn 5 calories per minute. Hence, walking briskly for at least 30 minutes daily is essential if you want to lose weight.

Is there information that directly quantifies the impact of regular walking on BMI?

Several studies have been carried out to evaluate the impact of walking on BMI. For instance, a study by Boston University with 32 adults showed an inverse relation between walking and BMI. Among the 32 adults, 15 had normal BMI, while the remaining 17 had overweight BMI. The test showed that walking is a low-risk exercise suitable for obese individuals and effective in helping them reduce their BMI.

Conclusion

You can now understand that walking is essential to leading a healthy lifestyle. It can not only help reduce your BMI but also manage several diseases. If you feel that you have a sedentary lifestyle, it is best to walk for at least 30 minutes per day.

Summary

This article will help you understand how much to walk according to BMI and the importance of walking. On average, walking about 3000 to 5000 steps per day is vital. It will help improve cardiovascular fitness, reduce excess body fat, and increase endurance.