Walking remains a very under-rated way to work out. Not only does it burn calories, it’s easy on the joints and oftentimes more mentally relaxing than strenuous types of cardio (here’s looking at you, stair master!). Trust me, this 30 minute walking workout for weight loss will become your new go-to.
The amount of calories you burn while walking can vary greatly. The number depends on your speed and current fitness level, but even your current weight impacts it.
On average, walking 1 mile in 15-20 minutes can burn approximately 100 calories.
But what if you varied up the intensity? How about the elevation with hills or stairs? What if you threw a few lunges in for some extra spice?
The truth is, there are so many underutilized ways to ramp up walking for weight loss. Sure, it takes a little creativity – and a commitment some muscle burn and heavy breathing – but the pay off is worth it.
You’ll skyrocket your walking results. No running, no jumping, no high-impact required.
Personally, I think this walking workout is fun. But that might just be me…?
Haha, let’s get into it!
Please note: Check with your physician before starting any exercise routine or starting any particular diet. See this Disclaimer for more details. This post may contain affiliate links. For details, please visit my Disclosure page. Thank you!
30 Minute Walking Workout for Weight Loss
Walking Workout – How Often to Do It
If this walking workout consisted of “leave your home and go walk for 30 minutes,” I would probably say you could do it every day.
But this workout is designed to have a HIIT component (high intensity interval training), which means there are short periods of time where you’ll be pushing yourself very hard.
AKA this workout is designed to unleash a flame-thrower onto your body fat, so it may lead to a little bit of soreness.
All that to say – the frequency depends!
For most people, aiming for 3 times a week is a good goal. For example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday could be your schedule. But listen to your body! If you’re feeling sore on Wednesday, you may need to replace that day’s walk with a calm 30 minute stroll instead.
To maximize your weight loss, I also recommend working in strength training twice a week as well. It does wonders for weight loss.
RELATED: 5 Proven Reasons Why Strength Training is Good for Weight Loss
Overall, the beauty of walking for weight loss is that you don’t need to worry too much about rest. After all, we typically need to do some amount of walking each day, so our bodies’ get pretty accustomed to it. So evaluate how your body is feeling after the first couple walks and adjust accordingly.
Walking Workout – What You’ll Need
As you can probably guess, not much! The only equipment you really need for this walking workout is a way to monitor your time.
A smartwatch would work great for this, because then you can also keep the workout on your phone to reference without having to switch back and forth.
RELATED: 8 Top Running Watches: Which is the Best for You?
If you don’t have a watch you can either use a timer on your phone or an app that allows you to program intervals.
Of course, a good pair of shoes is always important when walking for an extended duration of time. Make sure you have supportive sneakers without too many miles on them already. If you’re looking for a new pair, Brooks and Hoka are my go-to’s. These brands have gotten me through countless running races, rocky hikes, and long nights on my feet as a nurse.
The only other thing you need is access to a hill or a staircase. If that’s just not going to happen in your available walking location, no worries! Just repeat one of the other 5 minutes intervals a second time.
And now for the workout…
Warm-Up:
- 3 minute easy walk
Walking workout:
- Set 1 (5 minutes): 30 sec fast walk, 30 sec slow walk
- Set 2 (5 minutes): Increase speed each minute
- Minute 1: Stroll through the park
- Minute 2: Confident boss lady walking with purpose to her office
- Minute 3: Walking the dog…and he just saw a squirrel.
- Minute 4: Crap! I overslept and have 10 minutes to get ready!
- Minute 5: I’m about to miss my flight!!
- Set 3 (5 minute EMOM): Every minute on the minute, do 8 reps of a bodyweight exercise (lunges, squat to kicks, side squat walks, bear crawls, push-ups, etc). The world is your oyster!
- Set 4 (5 minutes): 30 sec fast walk, 30 sec slow walk
- Set 5 (5 minutes): Hill or stair walks
- 20s – Up
- 20s – Down
- 20s – Easy flat recovery walk
Cool-down:
- 2 minute easy walk
Here’s a pdf of the workout that you can download to your phone for reference during the workout!
I hope you enjoy this walking workout for weight loss. While I designed this to be a walking workout outside, you can definitely do it on the treadmill as well.
If you give the workout a try, let me know what you thought in the comments below! Which part did you find most challenging? What exercise did you choose for the 5 minute EMOM?
Best wishes on your health and fitness journey!
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