How to Burn 500 Calories a Day Walking
According to the Mayo Clinic, you can lose a pound of bodyweight if you burn 500 calories each day for a week. The question to ask then, is how can you burn 500 calories a day?
An adult of average weight can run for 45 minutes, swim for an hour, or take a spinning class to achieve that goal. These activities are pretty intense, but that’s not the case with walking.
Walking is an easy activity that fits nicely in the day. Walking burns fat as well as calories. And, if you’re already at your ideal weight, walking will help you to stay in shape.
In the coming sections, we’ll discuss in detail, how to burn 500 calories a day walking. For now, download your free How To Burn 500 Calories A Day Walking Cheat Sheet!
Contents
How to Burn 500 Calories a Day
You’d need to walk briskly for about an hour each day to burn 500 calories. If you go slower than 5 mph, then try to increase the duration of your walk.
You should divide your walking into four stages. It might help you to think of it kind of like shifting gears in a car. If you want your vehicle to perform well, start slow, pick up speed, and then cruise. When you’re done, don’t slam on the brakes, ease into deceleration.
Here’s what you need to do to get the best results from your walk.
Step 1: Warm-Up
An effective warm-up elevates your heart rate, raises your body temperature, and fills your lungs with oxygen. It also mobilizes your muscles and joints. All this helps your body to get ready for the upcoming walk.
A warm-up is often a shorter and slower form of the exercise. So, if you’re planning on brisk-walking for an hour, then walk at a slower pace for 5-10 minutes, until your muscles warm up.
Step 2: Get to Your Target Heart Rate
Your heart rate is an indicator of your physical state at any given moment. It’s also a good indicator of whether your body is burning calories.
To get the best outcome during your workout, you should aim for reaching the Target Heart Rate Zone. This is where you increase the intensity of your workout until your heart beats at 50-85% of the maximum heart rate.
Here’s a summary of the target and maximum heart rates given for various age ranges. These figures are approximate, so treat them as general guidelines. Find your optimal number, and memorize it. We’ll need it in the next section!
Now that your body is good and ready for some action, put a spring in your step and gain some speed with brisk walking. As your heart rate increases, monitor your pulse to see if you are in your target heart rate zone. Your target heart rate zone is where your body will be burning calories and consuming fat.
There are a few things you could do to boost your heart rate and get it to the target you’re aiming for:
- Step wider than your usual stride.
- Walk quickly but not to the point of jogging.
- Choose a path that goes uphill.
- Climb steps or stairs.
- Move your elbows in sync with your steps.
- Move your arms and upper body.
Step 3: Keep Up the Pace
Try to maintain a constant speed. This will regulate your breathing, circulation, and stamina.
It’s ok to slow down every now and then. But, don’t rest too long where your heart rate decreases significantly. Keep up the pace by being aware of your heart rate.
Wearing a fitness tracker or exercising on a treadmill is a good way to keep track of your heart rate. If you’d like a simpler check; try talking or singing. If you can barely speak, then you’re going too fast. And if you can sing a whole bar, then you need to speed up.
Step 4: Cool-Down
Cooling down helps to decrease muscle soreness and optimize the post-workout recovery.
You need to bring your body back to its resting state gradually. And the simplest way to do that is by slowing down. Breathe deeply and relax.
You could also end your 5-10 minute cool down with some stretches. Your muscles are still warm, so that’s a great time to stretch.
How Much Walking to Burn 500 Calories?
Exact figures are hard here, as the rate of burning calories depends on several factors. Age, weight, metabolic effectiveness, and even the emotional state you’re in. That’s why these numbers are guidelines rather than firm numbers.
Having said that, I’d like to add that walking with a set target in mind, often yields favorable outcomes. You’re much better off knowing a ballpark figure of how much you need to walk per day to reach your fitness goals.
The below table shows how many calories an adult weighing around 150 pounds would burn walking. We’ll assume that this person is walking at 4 mph, which is considered a brisk walk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As the above figures reveal, you might need to walk an hour and a half each day to burn the 500 calories.
This duration isn’t always easy to do in one session. So does that mean you can’t reach your goal? Not at all. Fitness specialists recommend dividing your walks over different times per day. It’s all good as long the sum of your daily walks totals up to 90 minutes.
When to Walk to Burn 500 Calories a Day?
You might be wondering, is there an optimal time of the day you should pick for your walk? You’re also probably thinking that the day is already packed, so how can you find the time for a walk, much less time for multiple walks?
The best time for your walk(s) is the one that is convenient for you!
To answer the question of time availability; I’ll just say this: Find the time. Your health and wellbeing deserve a bit of rescheduling and resourcefulness. Below are a few examples you can fit your daily walk into.
A Daily Routine of Multiple Walks Per Day
This is probably the most convenient arrangement for most of us. Some don’t have the time and others don’t have the energy to put in 90 straight minutes of brisk walking.
That’s why taking shorter walks more frequently in the day is a good idea. The greatest thing about this scheme is that it’s doable. By the end of the day, you’d do the math, and will be pleasantly surprised that you logged in the 90 minutes, and burned your 500 calories!
Mixed with an HIIT Workout
Getting slim and boosting fitness takes serious work. Luckily, they can be fun to do. Use Interval and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to achieve higher fitness goals.
Interval training is doing fast and intense workouts for a minute or two, followed by regular exercising. If you apply this to walking, then we’re talking about a minute of ultra-brisk walking, then slowing the pace a bit.
First Thing in the Morning
Walking in the early hours of the day is a real pleasure. I’ve been doing that for years and it’s now a non-negotiable activity. Even a 15-minute stroll around the block is enough.
Starting the day out exercising is priceless, and sets the tone for the whole day. Higher positivity, a boost of energy, and being all-in ready to face the day.
During Your Lunch Break
The daily lunch hour can be used for a lot more than grabbing a bite. If you can pick a bistro that’s 20 minutes away from your work, then you can walk over there and back. You might need to be a bit of a fast eater though.
This will give you a good appetite as you go over to the cafe or restaurant. On the trip back, you’ll digest that snack and keep from feeling overly full after lunch.
In the Evening After Work
A 20 to 30 minute after work walk is a great way to unwind. Put some music in your earphones and stroll back home or around your neighborhood. The evening breeze and the tunes are guaranteed to shift your mood into a relaxed state.
A Treadmill at Home
I have a treadmill at home, that I use too often as a cloth hanger! That’s because I prefer the outdoors. I like to walk on sidewalks, parks, or even a track of the nearby club. I like to see people and hear the buzz of the street and the chirping birds.
The weather sometimes intervenes. But, my treadmill shows up to the rescue. I remove the clothes piling up on its rails and promptly start my daily walk. No need at all to miss out on a good workout.
The Gym Treadmill
You don’t have a treadmill at home? That shouldn’t keep you from resuming your daily walks. Check out the local gym, and you’ll probably stumble upon some pretty impressive machines.
These treadmills often have adjustable settings for the speed you’re comfortable with. They also monitor your heart rate, and have a few preset workout programs. Most Gyms also have good energizing music or big screens where you can follow a good movie.
In short, they take walking to a whole other level of engagement and fun.
Conclusion
Learning how to burn 500 calories a day walking has multiple benefits. One benefit is being able to lose a pound of bodyweight each week. Another important benefit is strengthening your cardiovascular system.
In order to burn 500 calories a day walking, you should aim for keeping you heart rate in your target heart rate zone.
To get the best results from your walk, you should warm-up first. Then, speed up until you reach your target heart rate. Try to keep that pace during the length of your walk and then cool down at the end.
You will have to walk roughly ninety minutes total each day to burn 500 calories.
Your ninety minutes of walking doesn’t have to be all at once though. You can break your routine into shorter walks throughout the day. As long as at the end of the day, all your walks total ninety minutes.
Once you get in shape from walking, you can begin to ease into running!
Learning how to burn 500 calories a day walking is definitely worth the effort. Now, go get walking and your body will thank you!!
