How to Walk Off Belly Fat

If you’re looking to lose belly fat, walking is a great way to do it. You’ll also get a lot of other health benefits, including lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and improved mood.

Walk More

Walking is a moderate-intensity exercise that can be easy to incorporate into your day. It burns about three-quarters of a calorie per pound of your body weight, so it’s an excellent way to drop pounds quickly. If you want to burn more calories, try adding in some fast walks or increasing your speed.

Warm Up and Cool Down

Before starting your walk, make sure you warm up by walking 5 to 10 minutes at an easy pace, suggests Peggy Pletcher, an exercise physiologist and consultant for Source Endurance, an online fitness coaching service in Austin, Texas. The warm-up helps burn off stored sugar in your muscles and prepares your body for the upcoming workout, she says.

Keep a Timer

To stay motivated and boost your calorie burn, use a timer to track your progress. This can help you focus on a certain distance or pace, suggests Carolina Araujo, CPT, a New York-based certified personal trainer.

Intervals

To burn even more calories and lose even more belly fat, mix in intervals of high-intensity walking, jogging or running. This will help you stay in a specific heart rate range, which is necessary for burning fat.

Do More Walking

If you want to lose more belly fat and get into a healthier, fitter shape, increase your total amount of walking each week. This will give you a much better chance of reaching your goal, suggests Pletcher.

Challenge Yourself to Increase Pace and Incline

For a little extra kick, try going faster on your next walk or up an incline. This will increase your heart rate, which increases the number of calories you burn.

You can do this by trying to beat your previous time or aiming to walk a shorter route at a higher speed. You can also use an app to help you stick to a set pace or time.

Switching up your routine can also help you keep it interesting, so be sure to pick a new, challenging route for your walk.

Avoid Added Sugar

It’s important to avoid added sugar in your diet because it’s one of the top contributors to belly fat, says registered dietitian Jennifer Norvell, director of nutrition and wellness at the Mayo Clinic. Examples of added sugar include refined grains, sweets and dairy products, and soda and juice.

Add Fiber to Your Meals

Eating a diet rich in fiber can help you feel full and eliminate the desire to snack. It can also help lower your blood sugar, which in turn can boost your metabolism and burn more fat, says registered dietitian Jessica Ward.

Eat More Lean Protein

You need protein in your diet to build and maintain muscle, so be sure to include at least 20 to 30 grams of it with each meal and snack, recommends Pletcher. In addition, try to eat more foods that contain a good source of protein, such as fish, chicken, beans, nuts and seeds.