How Walking Can Help You Burn Stomach Fat and Lose Weight

Walking can help burn belly fat just as, if not more effectively than other forms of exercise because it’s a sustainable and accessible movement that, put simply, burns calories. Below, experts explain how walking can help you lose weight, plus some walking workouts to get your pace-focused fitness routine started.

Can walking burn stomach fat?

Yes and no. Walking is scientifically proven to be a great exercise for overall weight loss, which sometimes takes place in the mid-region, but not always—it’s different for everyone, explains Tara Schmidt, M. Ed., R.D.N., lead dietitian at the Mayo Clinic Diet. A long-held debate is whether or not spot reducing—or targeting weight loss to a particular body part—is possible at all. As of late, mixed evidence has emerged, however, experts remain skeptical.

“It sounds lovely, but even doing 1000 crunches isn’t going to automatically produce abs,” explains Schmidt. “Age, gender, and genetics often play a role in where people tend to see weight loss.”

That said, walking is certainly a great way to stay active and, over time, lose weight when the basic weight loss principle of a calorie deficit is at play. (In other words, you burn more calories than you consume.)

Schmidt reiterates: “Any form of exercise is crucial in weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Walking is a reasonable way for almost anyone to engage in intentional activity without the need for equipment or a specific skill set. While walking, itself, is not going to promote the loss of abdominal fat, it could absolutely be part of the equation; one that also needs to include a calorie-controlled diet and strength training.”

How much should I walk a day to lose belly fat?

One study found that walking at both slow and fast speeds decreased the same amount of visceral (abdominal) fat in postmenopausal women. So, in that regard, pace may not matter as much as you think. However, if you want to get your heart pumping for the exercise’s cardioprotective effects, you can intentionally boost your walks’ intensities.

“Walking, when part of someone’s regular physical activity, can improve sleep, cardiovascular fitness, bone and muscle strength, mood, balance, and prevent or manage chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes,” Schmidt explains.

Below, our experts outline walking plans for those looking for low-, medium-, and high-impact exercise. They recommend following your chosen plan six or seven days a week.

Walks for weight loss

Keep reading to explore walking routines for weight loss, designed by exercise physiologist Peggy Pletcher, consultant for Source Endurance; and celebrity fitness trainer Valerie Waters.

First, find the right pace

Create a personal scale of intensity, from one to 10. It’s the best way to determine how hard you should be working, with one being very easy and 10 an all-out effort. If you’re on a treadmill, try our suggested speeds, but adjust the speed according to your effort level. The paces are as follows:

Warm-up/cool-down: 2 to 3 (treadmill at 3 mph). You can chat with ease.

Brisk pace: 4 to 5 (3.5 to 3.8 mph). Your breathing is pleasantly harder. Can still talk, but with pauses.

Push pace: 6 to 7 (4 mph). Some huffing and puffing. One- to two-word replies.

Power pace: 8 to 9 (4.2 to 4.5 mph or uphill at 3.5 mph). No talking possible.

3 Walking workouts

Plan 1: For beginners

Time: 20 minutes a day, seven days a week

Start: Warm-up
3:00 Brisk pace
6:00 Push pace
9:00 Brisk
12:00 Power pace
13:00 Push
15:00 Brisk
18:00 Cool-down
20:00 Finish

Total calories burned: About 100 (based on a 150-lb. person)

Plan 2: For moderate walkers

Time: 40 minutes, six days a week

Start: Warm-up
3:00 Brisk pace
6:00 Push pace
13:00 Power Pace
15:00 Repeat minutes 3 through 15 (brisk walk for 3 minutes, push for 7 minutes, power for 2 minutes)
27:00 Brisk
37:00 Cool-down
40:00 Finish

Total calories burned: About 200 (based on a 150-lb. person)

Plan 3: For pros

Time: 60 minutes, six days a week

Note: If you’re doing this workout indoors on a treadmill, start with a 3% incline for the hills, working up to 5%. If you’re outside, try to find a loop with two hills about midway through that will take you about five to six minutes to climb.

Start: Warm-up
3:00 Brisk pace
5:00 Push pace
20:00 Brisk
22:00 Uphill Brisk
28:00 Brisk
32:00 Uphill Brisk
38:00 Brisk
42:00 Push
57:00 Cool-down
60:00 Finish

Total calories burned: About 330 (based on a 150-lb. person)