If you’re tired of influencers gatekeeping great workouts or sick of shelling out big bucks for exercise classes or equipment, a walking routine could be just the thing you need to jumpstart your fitness journey—no strings attached. In fact, it’s hard to overstate the benefits of lacing up for a daily stroll. Studies have shown that walking even 4,000 steps per day can extend your lifespan, lower your risk of serious chronic illnesses, boost your mental well-being, and help you lose weight.
However, if you’ve noticed that you’re walking regularly but the number on the scale isn’t changing, you may be wondering what’s causing the holdup. These are the 10 sneaky things that could be preventing you from losing weight from walking.
RELATED: 6 Best Walking Workouts for Weight Loss.
1 | You’re taking in more calories than you’re burning.
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The first roadblock to weight loss isn’t exactly surprising, but it bears mentioning: It’s very difficult to offset an excessive calorie intake through exercise, especially low-to-moderate intensity exercise like walking.
“Walking burns roughly 200-300 calories per hour for most people. Many overestimate this caloric burn and inadvertently consume more calories than they expend. A single post-walk snack can quickly erase the caloric deficit created by your walk,” explains Michael Betts, a physical therapist and director at TRAINFITNESS.
He adds that exercise often increases appetite, making it harder to resist high-calorie snacks.
Katya Campbell, general manager and fitness director of Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat, agrees that maintaining a caloric deficit is key if your goal is to lose weight.
“An individual may think they are in caloric deficit but are in fact not. Using a calorie counter and tracking your food for at least one week (including all liquids!) will showcase not only how much an individual is eating, but in what macronutrient ratios,” Campbell tells Best Life.
2 | Your casual stroll isn’t cutting it.
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Another common mistake people is walking at too low of an intensity and not elevating their heart rate enough “to create meaningful metabolic changes,” explains Betts.
Adding hills and stairs, and incorporating intervals by alternating between brisk walking and recovery periods, should help get your heart rate up.
“Most people need 30-45 minutes of brisk walking, maintaining a pace where conversation becomes slightly challenging, to see substantial results,” says Betts.
3 | You’re not taking enough steps.
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This is one of the most common issues, and one of the easiest problems to fix: You’re simply not taking enough steps. While not everyone needs 10,000 steps to see health improvements or weight loss, many fitness experts suggest aiming for between 10,000 and 14,000 steps to notice a difference on the scale.
Once again, this is where data collection comes in handy—by tracking your steps, you can ensure that you’re meeting your goals and building from there.
RELATED: Certain Foods Trigger Natural Ozempic-Like Weight Loss Effect, Doctor Says.
4 | You’re not timing your walks intentionally.
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When you walk can also influence whether or not your routine leads to weight loss. Walking multiple times a day to break up sedentary stretches at work or on your couch, and walking after eating are both good ways to ramp up your results.
“The timing of walks also can be integrated into times that facilitate fuel management more effectively,” says Betts. “For example, walking after meals is a wonderful way to help facilitate glucose disposal. Rather than storing fuel (calories), we use it in movement as our muscles contract.”
5 | You have an underlying metabolic condition.
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If you’ve been eating healthy food in moderate portions and exercising regularly—but not losing weight—it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor to discuss whether any underlying health conditions could be responsible.
“Thyroid issues, hormonal imbalances, and insulin resistance can significantly impact weight loss efforts. These conditions might require medical intervention alongside your walking routine to achieve desired results,” says Betts.
6 | You’re not getting adequate sleep.
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Not getting adequate sleep—most adults need seven to nine hours per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—can also be a barrier to weight loss.
“Poor sleep quality or insufficient rest can hinder weight loss by affecting hunger hormones and metabolism. Lack of sleep often leads to increased cravings and reduced energy expenditure during walking sessions,” explains Betts.
Campbell agrees that when we are underrested, our appetites increase to produce more energy for us that we lack due to missed hours of sleep, affecting progress. “It also affects our metabolism and is linked to increased cases of metabolic diseases like diabetes,” she notes.
7 | Your stress is spiking your cortisol.
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Walking is a great way to lower your stress levels, but it won’t necessarily wipe your stress slate clean. If you find yourself experiencing high anxiety throughout the day, this could explain your stalled progress on the scale.
“High stress levels elevate cortisol, promoting belly fat storage and increasing appetite. Even with regular walking, chronic stress can counteract weight loss efforts through hormonal mechanisms,” says Betts.
RELATED: 62-Year-Old Woman Loses 106 Pounds By Making These 4 Simple Changes.
8 | You don’t have enough muscle mass.
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If walking is your only workout, you may not maintain your muscle mass, especially during weight loss. “Less muscle means a lower resting metabolic rate, potentially slowing your progress over time,” says Betts.
That’s why many experts say that the best weekly routine is one that includes two to three sessions of targeted weighted workouts. Or, to streamline things, you can even try rucking, the trend of weighted walking.
“By adding strength training into an individual’s exercise routine, along with walking, we create a much more effective system and it is also packed with other health benefits,” says Campbell.
Alternatively, you can stop along your walks to incorporate other exercises. “Stop every 10 minutes to perform 10 squats or five push-ups against a bench,” Betts suggests. “This simple addition helps maintain muscle mass and increases overall caloric burn.”
9 | Your medications are causing side effects.
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Just as an underlying medical condition can thwart your best intentions at losing weight, so can the medications used to treat those conditions.
“Certain medications, including antidepressants, steroids, and beta-blockers, can affect metabolism and make weight loss more challenging, even with consistent walking,” says Betts.
10 | You’re not eating the right foods.
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Finally, Campbell says that any time you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to eat a balanced, nutritious diet rather than just cutting calories and ramping up your caloric burn. Avoid processed foods in favor of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, hearty whole grains, healthy fats, and lots of water.
In particular, she says that it’s important to get plenty of protein—ideally at least .8 grams per pound of body weight each day.
“Eating a low protein diet will not help facilitate weight loss as we need that skeletal muscle to be our metabolic sink. This shift in macronutrient loading will help facilitate weight loss,” she advises.