Stop Underestimating this Fitness Hack
October 5, 2022 | Words by Gabe Yanez
Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk
For many of us hard-chargers that live our lives with an #EffortOverEverything mindset, fitness can quickly turn into something that becomes very black and white.
We either hit the day’s workout hard or don’t work out at all. This kind of thinking leads to many people underestimating the power of incorporating consistent, easy bouts of movement throughout the day.
This leads us to today’s topic, the often underestimated power of a simple walk.
Steps for Weight Loss, Muscle Retention, & Better Health
Most of us work out because we’re chasing some version of an aesthetic, performance, or general health goal. We might want to improve our body composition, gain strength, feel better, or, most commonly, some combination of all three.
Walking isn’t going to spike your heart rate or make you sweat the way a workout on the NCFIT App can do, but it’s still a powerful fitness hack that is accessible to anyone at any time.
When it comes to fat loss in particular, a lot of people don’t realize that weight loss is dictated by total calorie expenditure throughout the day. If you go hard during your workout but then go on to stay primarily sedentary for the rest of the day, it’s possible that you may not expend the appropriate amount of calories to illicit any significant fat loss.
There are also days when you may not have a chance to work out. We all get busy, and on the days you can’t make it to the gym, a simple 10-minute walk can go a long way in helping you get some movement because something is always better than nothing.
If you want to burn fat while maintaining as much lean muscle mass as possible, walking can be better than doing an excessive amount of moderate cardio.
To maximize fat burn while minimizing muscle loss, you must approach your caloric deficit like you would cooking a good brisket: low and slow. Ramp up the cardio and intensity notches up too quickly and you risk losing more lean muscle than you’d like.
If you don’t have too much time to dedicate to working out each day, combining a quality hypertrophy program like NCFLEX on the NCFIT App with daily walks can be a great way to maintain lean muscle while slowly burning off excess fat.
And finally, walking can be your secret longevity weapon for those more concerned with long-term health. After meals, going for a short walk can help decrease blood sugar spikes and promote better long-term metabolic health.
There is so much to gain from more steps in your day-to-day.
One Thing to Try This Week: Walk More
It’s that simple.
Nowadays, everyone has access to a wearable device or mobile app that can count their steps. Set a daily goal for yourself, ideally in the 8,000 to 12,000-step range, and commit to hitting that number every day this week.
There might be some days when you don’t get to work out, but if you walk every day, you’re checking off the movement box for the day and taking a major step toward your goals.
