If there was a FREE, super easy exercise you could do that massively improves your health, gives you more energy, and speeds up fat loss…would you do it?
Funny enough- you’re already doing it. But maybe you could do more. And by doing more you could change your life.
That’s right- I’m talking about walking. Just taking a walk!
Around the block. Around the house. Heck, you could take a walk around your couch over and over and over again. As far as I know, there are no rules against this. And if there are…well, this is me pleading guilty to being the crazy guy that walks around his house like a mad man in order to get in more steps.
Anyways, let’s talk about 3 key points when it comes to walking:
- Walking Has Massive Health Benefits
- Walking is a Great Fat Loss Tool
- Practical Ways to Get More Steps In
Walking Has Massive Health Benefits
Spiritual and Mental- something about doing a consistent, low level activity has a way to calm the mind but still let it run smoothly. It seems like the more you sit around, the more your mind speeds up. But if your body speeds up too much (think hard strength training, sprints, etc) your mind empties.
There are benefits to all 3 states, but walking has unique advantages. It is enough activity to calm the mind but it’s not so intense that it prevents you from thinking altogether.
I have some of my best ideas walking. In fact, Steel Strength Training was dreamed up in my mind while walking my dog (also named Steel).
I also love to pray when I walk. Pray. Meditate. Think about the future.
Walking is great at clearing the mind and soul. Allowing you to let go of the things weighing you down while allowing you to focus on what matters.
Physical- basically the more you walk, the healthier you’ll be and the longer you’ll live. Obviously nothing in life is a guarantee, but all things being the same, the more you walk…the healthier you’ll be.
Walking benefits digestion, heart health, blood pressure, blood sugar, and so much more.
It’s also a great stress reliever, and stress is absolutely a killer and life-sucker!
So what could be better than being healthier, smarter, less stressed, and closer to God?
Getting all that PLUS dropping fat
Walking is a Great Fat Loss Tool
I’m a math nerd, so let’s talk numbers.
This is a ballpark, but it’ll make my point.
A 200 pound person walking an additional 5,000 steps per day will burn about 250 extra calories per day.
Do that 7 days per week and that’s an extra 2 pounds of fat lost per month.
That’s 24 pounds of fat lost per year.
And what’s crazy is you can do this on top of your strength training, calorie deficit, and (if it’s in your plan) cardio. Because walking is basically zero stress to the body but still burns calories. It’s amazing!
We have to monitor our strength training and calorie deficit and cardio to make sure we don’t OVERDO IT. But it’s almost impossible to overdo walking. At least, I don’t see many Americans in danger of doing that.
I would go so far as to say, if your goal is to get healthier and lose fat…
Lift just 2-3 days per week, eat in a small calorie deficit (200-500 calorie deficit per day), do some kind of cardio if you really want to…then WALK LIKE A CRAZY PERSON.
Seriously, walk as much as you possibly can. With extra walking you can easily 1.5x or even 2x+ your fat loss progress!
Now a crazy thing is you can get 5,000 extra steps in 30-45 minutes of brisk walking. And I know, I know…you’re going to tell me you don’t have 30-45 minutes to walk.
You (99% of you anyways) and I both know that’s not ACTUALLY true. But fine, I’ll humor your excuses.
That’s why I’m going to share with you…
Practical Ways to Get More Steps In
- Go for a 10-20 minute walk first thing in the morning
- Take a 10 minute walk after every meal
- Fit a 10-20 minute walk in throughout your day
- Get a walking pad
If you’re going to do these, and you should, then you need to really get after it. You don’t need to run. Or jog. I’m not trying to turn you into a runner.
But you also don’t need to wall like a teenage boy at the mall. Slow as Christmas.
Get some pep in your step. I’m thinking you need to channel the lady in the neighborhood going for a walk with her fanny pack and pink dumbbells in each hand pumping as she chases that walker’s high….THAT’S what you want.
I’m talking you’re walking in a way that, if you were on the city street, other people are nervous you’re up to no good. Even though you’re up to A WHOLE LOTTA GOOD. The goodest of the good.
You’re chasing all the benefits of walking.
Got it?
Cool.
Starting gives us 2 big wins- first, it gets you closer to your step count goal. And gets you closer earlier in the day. And second, it gives us a psychological win. When you get a lot of steps in the morning, it makes you want to get even more throughout the day.
Taking a quick walk after a meal is great for regulating digestion, blood sugar, and energy- preventing you from the energy crash so many experience after eating. You can get some serious steps in in just 10 minutes. Make a game out of it and see how many you can get in!
If you really don’t have time for a full-blown 30-45 minute walk….take a 10-20 minute walk. Fit it in, any chance you can! Break yourself free from the all or none mentality that stops so many people from reaching their goals!
And finally, wow this last one is amazing….get a walking pad!!!
Shelby and I have been throwing around the idea of getting a walking pad for a couple years now. We got one 2 weeks ago, and our only regret is not doing this sooner.
We’ll take turns using it while watching our favorite shows at night, she’ll use it when homeschooling the kids, and I’ll use it on calls with the team and potential clients.
We’re easily getting a minimum of 3-4k more steps and we only feel MORE energized as a result.
And if you really want to be a star pupil, do all 4 of these!
So to summarize this….if you hate the idea of having a clear mind, feeling happy, losing fat, and being healthy….DO NOT WALK MORE. Seriously, you could ruin your life.
But if you want to change your life with the simplest tool of all, please please PLEASE go take a walk. Even a short one. You’ll be glad you did!
If you think I might just potentially in a teeny tiny way be of some help to your on your fitness journey, let’s talk!
-Coach Nate
Owner at Steel Strength Training
P.S.- want to do more reading? Check out these resources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10643563/