Walking For Fitness

Mile for mile, walking may not burn as many calories as running, but that hardly means you should jog if you hate it. Walking is an excellent way to get into shape and trim your physique.

To burn the same number of calories walking as you would running, you just need to walk a little longer. It probably also goes without saying that the faster you walk, the more calories you’ll burn. “For weight loss, you should be walking at a brisk pace (about two miles in 30 minutes) for at least 250 minutes per week — approximately 35 minutes per day,” says Melissa Hendricks, MEd, manager of the Cleveland Clinic Fitness Centers. “If you are a beginner, start slow and gradually increase your time and speed each week,” she says.