The best strategy for lowering body fat percentage is to go on your walk soon after waking up, say experts. Your body is already in a calorie deficit, and it will ignite your body’s fat-burning ability. Glycogen levels are depleted during sleep, so your body will utilise body fat as an energy source.

Before you start your walk it’s a good idea to practice some warm-up exercises for just a few minutes. Also, during the first two or three minutes of your walk, start at a slower pace, and then gradually pick up the speed, trying to maintain it for the rest of your walk.

One of the best things about walking is that you can do it with a friend. But if you find that you’re chatting more than breathing, you need to increase your pace. You can still chat, but make sure that between your words you’re breathing audibly. Your pace should be fast enough that talking and breathing is not impossible, but it’s a bit challenging.

Try to add variety: head for a trail in the park or a walking path or track. Hiking is a good option, too, because the terrain is usually varied over hills and slopes. Another way to vary your walk is to add in some stair-stepping exercises if you happen to pass a stairway, or you can include a short, steep hill for variety.

Bonus belly fat burning opportunities await you if you can leave the car at home, take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators. If you take mass transit to work, walk to a bus or train stop a little further along the route.

When you walk, take the opportunity to “train” your body to have the best possible posture. Tuck in your tummy and your rear, and hold your shoulders back comfortably. Look up and forward as much as possible, and envision your spine being stretched upward from the top of your head.

Related: 10 Easy Ways To Lose Weight

Walk in the early morning or later evening during hot weather, wear moisture-wicking clothes, and remember to wear sunblock and a hat to protect your skin. Raining? No excuses. Hit the mall or a treadmill for a few indoor laps.

With weights, that is. Adding extra weight will boost calorie burn. For instance, walk while carrying 1-2 kg dumbbells at chest level to work the shoulders, quads, abs, and glutes.

A great way to stay motivated is to use a pedometer. The ideal number of steps, according to heart experts, is 10,000 (about 8 km) a day.

Related: 5 Ways How Walking Can Help You Lose Weight

Simply drinking more water may increase the rate at which healthy people burn calories, according to a study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. After drinking about 2 tall glasses, participants’ metabolic rates increased by 30 per cent. The researchers estimate that increasing water intake by 1.5 liters a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories over the course of the year— that’s a weight loss of approximately five pounds. Now imagine maximising that water weight loss hack with metabolism boosting walk.

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Brazilian scientists found that participants who consumed three cups of the beverage every day for a week had fewer markers of the cell damage caused by resistance to exercise. That means that green tea can also help you recover faster after a brisk walk.