Let’s break down the benefits of this low impact cardio activity.

Walking is a great form of exercise, especially for beginners. Depending on the intensity and length of your walk plus your diet, it can also be a fun way to lose (or maintain) weight.

While EasyWellness is not a traditional fitness app and doesn’t focus on weight loss, it can be a natural outcome from increased activity. EasyWellness’ Step Counter encourages users to move more as part of a holistic approach to health, which also includes programs for flexibility, hydration and stress management. If you are looking for a low impact way to lose or maintain your weight, here are some basics when it comes to walking.

1. Not everyone is the same. Some people will need to walk more and some will need to walk less to meet their health goals. Focus on what feels good to you. When you are just starting out, it’s important to get in tune with your body.
2. Warm up. Flexibility and mobility play a major role in how much we can walk. It also can prevent injury. Start your walk with a light stretching session (Try the EasyWellness Warm Up Stretch) and go at a normal pace for the first 5 to 10 minutes of your walk before speeding up.
3. Pace. The faster you walk, the more calories you will burn. We like to recommend a “brisk” walk. In the beginning, you should go at a pace that feels comfortable and then speed up as you acclimate. If brisk walking tires you out, you can do it in intervals to build up stamina.
4. Walking uphill. Walking uphill creates resistance that will increase the intensity of your walk, even if your pace stays normal. An incline will have added benefits to your lungs and heart besides the additional burned calories.
5. Diet. How and what you eat is going to play a role in weight loss, even if you are doing daily exercise. Without getting too focused on the details and calorie counting, aim to incorporate more fruits and vegetables plus protein into your diet. Don’t completely eliminate carbohydrates though— those are needed for energy. If you feel that it’s hard to manage your diet on your own or have certain dietary restrictions, speak with your doctor about some solutions that might work for you.
6. Form matters. To prevent injury, you want to maintain a forward gaze and a straight back, keeping your abdominal and glute muscles activated to hold up your upper body. Another benefit to this is it will create more strength in your abs.
7. Number of steps. The ✨magic✨ number of steps that you will hear about time and time again is 10,000 steps per day. 10,000 steps comes out to approximately 5 miles per day, which may seem unattainable for many. The good news is, any amount of walking that is above your current average step count can help you get started. The EasyWellness Step Counter will calculate your average daily steps and help you create a daily step goal that you can increase every week.

You don’t always have to go hardcore to get the long term benefits of exercise. Besides weight loss and maintenance, here are some benefits other to walking regularly:

1. Low impact on knees and hips.
2. Can help with cholesterol levels.
3. Great for cardiovascular health.
4. Lower blood pressure.
5. Increased stamina.

➡️ Ready to start walking? Download EasyWellness in the App Store and start your 7-day free trial today! You’ll get access to all EasyWellness programs and start a wellness journey you can keep up.

Does walking help you lose weight? was originally published in Little By Little Labs on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.