By now you may realize that in order to lose weight you're going to need to burn some extra calories. You can only reduce your calorie intake by so much, so burning off some additional ones by increased physical activity is how you're going to lose weight.

But to make your exercise effective you need to understand how it really works, and this means understanding the calories burned walking versus any other activity.

First off, keep in mind that not all physical activity is the same, and the same physical activity is different for everyone. This means that of course you're going to burn more calories doing something very strenuous such as running up hills versus the calories burned walking. This doesn't mean that walking is ineffective; it's actually a great way to burn calories without putting undue stress on your joints and tendons which is a very good idea for those who are sedentary and those who are still very overweight.

But many who walk leisurely wonder why they're not losing as much weight as they expected; your calories burned walking aren't adding up to much if you're just strolling along slowly. On the other hand, of course you're going to burn more calories when walking than you are just sitting in front of the television wishing you were in better shape!

The calories burned walking are also going to be different for each person. The heavier you are in terms of body weight, the harder your body works when you're physically active. Someone that weighs 300 pounds is burning more calories than someone that weighs 150 pounds, even though they may be walking at the same pace.

The heavier person has more calories burned walking than the lighter one simply because their body is going more work to move them around. This is one reason it's not a good idea to compare yourself to a friend or someone else you're exercising with; he or she may be burning more calories than you simply because of how they're built and not necessarily because you're doing anything wrong or because they're doing anything extra.

So how can you make your exercise more effective and increase your calories burned walking? There are some easy ways to go about doing this. For one, increase your pace a bit. You don't need to run or jog just yet; this will put some stress on your knees and ankles that you may not be ready for. Just walk a bit faster. If you're used to just taking a leisurely stroll, try walking a bit faster. Another suggestion is to mix up your environment.

When you walk on a flat surface such as a track or sidewalk you're not getting as many calories burned walking on an uneven surface such as grass or hilly areas. If there's a place near your home such as a park or playground, try walking around that area. The way your body works to push against that hilly or uneven surface is different than how it works when you're walking on a flat surface.

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All the best,

Carol J Pearson

(Personal Trainer)