When it comes to our workout and fitness routines, we’ve traditionally been advised to really break a sweat or “go hard” to achieve our goals. But now, walking has emerged as a tried and true method for fitness and weight loss, proving just as effective as those high-intensity efforts. Even better, the latest research suggests that there’s no shame in taking a break when you go for a stroll. In fact, it may help you burn even more calories.
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A new study published yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Social B examined how long people walked and the amount of energy they required to do so. Ten study participants walked between 10 seconds and 4 minutes on a stairclimber treadmill. While they did so, researchers from the University of Milan monitored oxygen intake to determine energy use.
Investigators found that shorter walks and climbs—around 30 seconds—required participants to use 20 to 60 percent more oxygen than those who exercised for longer periods. Put simply, they used more energy (i.e., burned more calories) to warm up at the start of the workout than they did once they’d been walking or climbing for a bit. At that point, the body reaches a metabolically steady state.
“When we walk for shorter bouts, we use more energy and consume more oxygen to cover the same distance,” lead author Francesco Luciano, MD, PhD, a researcher at the University of Milan, told The Guardian. “It’s like having a car that consumes more fuel during the first few kilometers than it does afterwards.”
According to Luciano, there are “fixed costs” when we start a workout.
“In analogy, driving a car needs some fuel to start the engine or get the car out of the garage,” he explained to The Guardian. “We found that when starting from rest, a significant amount of oxygen is consumed just to start walking. We incur this cost regardless of whether we then walk for 10 or 30 seconds, so it proportionally weighs more for shorter rather than longer bouts.”
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Therefore, walking for shorter increments and taking some pitstops on your walk can be effective, as can your morning walk to and from your car.
According to Luciano, these findings are unique, as other studies typically evaluated participants who’d already reached that steady state when the body uses energy more efficiently.
He also pointed out that data could help people with less mobility who cannot walk as far, specifically older adults and those with gait disorders.
“If we want to design programs to promote physical activity or exercise for these people, we need to rethink how to estimate their energy demands and adapt,” Luciano concluded. “Understanding the energy demands of short bouts of walking could help us promote physical activity in a more inclusive way.”