Does walking very fast for a short duration burn more calories than walking slowly for long?

Fast walking, or power walking, burns more calories than leisurely walking and offers numerous health benefits like strengthening the cardiovascular system and improving lung function. While less intense than running, it is a low-impact, accessible exercise. Brisk walking can be optimized with proper form, interval training, and walking uphill for maximum calorie burn and fitness gains.
Does walking very fast for a short duration burn more calories than walking slowly for long?
Walking fast, sometimes also referred to as power walking, burns more calories than other types of walking. The actual number of calories one burns while engaged in any physical activity will depend on multiple factors including speed, length of time, body weight, and fitness level. In addition to burning calories, brisk walking has several health benefits that can add to general well-being.
Though fast walking is less calorie-burning than high-intensity exercise like running or cycling, it is still an accessible and sustainable mode of exercise for everyone who commits to a fitness routine. It is low-impact, therefore less likely to cause injury and requires neither special equipment nor memberships to a gym. Adding it to your daily regimen of getting to work on time or at breaks is an easy way to stay healthy and active.




How fast walking burns more calories

If you walk briskly, it would mean that your body requires a lot more energy to maintain a steady pace. Then again, when walking leisurely, your body moves less energetically, which means burning fewer calories. However, brisk walking makes your heart beat faster, your muscles work harder, and your body works up a higher level of energy.

The role of intensity in calorie expenditure

Intensity is critical in calorie burning. Brisk walking is a moderate-intensity exercise, meaning that it raises your heart rate and breathing but still allows you to carry on a conversation. The higher intensity of fast walking not only burns more calories during the activity but also helps boost your metabolism. This post-exercise calorie burn is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, as your body works to recover from the physical effort. Benefits Beyond Calorie Burn
More than just burning off the extra calories from walking very fast is strengthening the cardiovascular system, enhancing lung functions, and making your muscles stronger, particularly in your legs, hips, and core. Building endurance also has something to do with fast walking; besides, this might be used in weight management, reducing stress, improving moods, and having a low chance of suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Tips for maximizing calorie burn while walking

Proper form and technique will be the only way to maximize this walking routine as brisk. Pose must be upright, arms should swing freely to help with balance, and the steps must be purposeful and quick. It must be done at an increased tempo to make it challenging for the body and to enhance fitness. Intervals such as different pacing like fast walking and slow also raise calorie burn and overall performance.
Walking uphill, like on the hills or treadmill with an incline setting also builds intensity in your exercise and helps you burn extra calories. Wearing a fitness tracker can help you monitor the distance travelled, speed and calories burned on walking. It provides motivation and information to keep on with your workout.
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