If you walk to lose weight, you may be surprised to know that tweaking and twisting a little bit of your routine can actually get you better results. According to a new study, short bursts of walking can give your metabolism more of a workout than trekking the same distance without a break. Researchers from Italy say while walking engages muscles in your arms, chest, back, abdomen, pelvis, and legs, it also gives a fair share of exercise to your brain as well.
The classic 10,000 steps that you aim for daily can be worked out in such a way that you get the maximum out of the workout. This study, conducted by the pathophysiologists at the University of Milan shows that not all steps are created equal. How to increase metabolism while walking? According to the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, using steady-state walking to calculate energy consumption can substantially underestimate energy expenditure for short bouts.
It has implications not only for people who try to burn off more of their energy but also for those who would be trying to conserve it. "Exercise programmes based on short walking bouts are used for the treatment and rehabilitation of several clinical conditions, including obesity and stroke," first author Francesco Luciano and colleagues explained in their published paper. "Understanding the cost of short bouts is crucial for tailoring (exercise programmes), especially for people with low aerobic fitness and increased time to re.
