1. Fast-paced walking – when combined with a healthy diet – is hugely effective for weight loss

9 ways to keep the weight off on holiday walkStudies have found that women who do three 30-minute high-intensity walks – plus two moderately paced recovery walks a week – lose up to six times more abdominal fat than participants who simply stroll five days a week. Whether you’re running for the train that’s just come into the platform, increasing your speed when walking to your office, or setting some time during breaks to do so, there’s no excuse for you to say you can’t do this simple activity.

2. Power walking is easier on the joints than running 

woman wearing walking shoesIf you’re not much of a runner or jogger, power walking helps, too. The activity which involves moving at a very fast pace while using your arms to help propel you forward and taking longer strides, helps you torch off approximately 564 calories per hour. “There is a strong relationship between intensity of exercise and fat-burning hormones,” according to Art Weltman, director of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia.

“So if you’re exercising at a pace considered to be hard, you’re likely to release more of these hormones.”

3. Walking leads to a healthier you!

woman wearing sandles and a sun dress

Taking roughly 10,000 steps a day sets off a chain reaction of physical benefits – such as lower blood pressure, reduced risk for heart disease and better odds for preventing breast cancer. Not sure how many steps you’ve taken? Instead of splashing out on a fitbit, refer to your Health app on your iPhone, to track how many you’ve completed in a day. For Android phone users, there are apps you can download, such as the Runtastic Pedometer Step Count, or the Noom Walk Pedometer. Of course, this means you may have to carry your phone around even when you’re walking to your colleague’s desk. This may prove a bit of a challenge to get your steps accurately recorded. But even if you don’t do so, the number reflected in the app can serve as a rough guide anyway.

4. Count your fitness level

6 Reasons Being Outdoors Improves Your Health_2

There are apps that can help you track your steps, pace, floors climbed, and calories burned. Try Fitbit Charge or MapMyWalk.

5. It’s not difficult to include in your daily routine

Easy tips flatter tummy

Walking does not require any special equipment and can be done every day. Choose to walk instead of taking the bus to the MRT station in the morning – you will already be burning a few calories!