A nutritious diet, healthy lifestyle, and regular exercise are pivotal in reducing stubborn belly fat. Those who do not have time to go to the gym every day or do not enjoy such a workout could try walking. Making the following changes in the way you walk could ensure proper exercise for your muscles and help reduce belly fat.
Rucking
This combines walking with a weighted backpack on your shoulders to boost the quality of your workout. You could take books or any other heavy objects in the bag that you carry. However, make sure not to exert too much pressure on the shoulders. Rucking helps to burn calories swiftly and engages the muscles to improve metabolism.
Brisk walking
Brisk walking and sprinting would burn calories easily. The faster you walk, the quicker the calories burn. Walking briskly for 30 – 40 minutes every day could reduce belly fat.
Walking and running
Starting with a slow to a brisk walk and then sprinting is a great way to burn calories and reduce belly fat. Alternating between walking and running reduces stress on the muscles and joints. Besides, this method is efficient for those who are not used to long-distance running and for beginners.
Backwards walking
Studies show that backward walking burns more calories than walking forward, as you need to put in more effort to find balance in your body. American College of Sports Medicine points out that backward walking could burn up to 6 metabolic equivalents (MET) while brisk walking could burn only 4.3 MET. As backward walking doesn’t exert too much pressure on the knees, this is a perfect workout for old people. But, they should be careful not to lose their balance or fall.
Nordic walking
Nordic walking is a low-impact exercise that involves the use of special walking poles. Besides the legs, this form of exercise engages your upper body too. Nordic walking burns 20 per cent more calories than regular walking. It reduces the stress on the shoulder blades and neck and improves body posture. Moreover, Nordic walking reduces fat deposits, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It is an excellent workout that could improve HDL, which is good cholesterol.
