How to Lose Weight by Walking 2 Hours

If you want to lose weight, you can begin a walking routine. Although jogging and running may burn more calories in short periods of time, walking for two hours a day can help increase the number of calories burned each day. To increase your rate of weight loss, boost your speed or add challenges like hills. Consult your doctor for advice before beginning a new weight loss plan.

Walk every other day for two hours at a moderate pace. If you are new to walking, aim to maintain a speed of 3.5 mph for the duration of the walk. According to Harvard Health Publishing, you'll burn 596 calories in two hours of walking if you weigh 155 pounds.

Consider this your training period. All athletes, and even weekend warriors who walk/run a 5K, abide by a training schedule in order to acclimatize themselves to their chosen activity and to workout safely.

Break down your walk into shorter intervals. If you find it difficult to walk continuously for two hours, break the walk down into two 60 minute walks or three 40-minute walks. The ‌Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans‌ recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderately intense cardio — which includes walking — a week to maintain or lose weight.

Considering that you hope to do 840 minutes a week, weight loss is almost guaranteed, depending on the speed of your walk.

‌Read more:‌ How Much Do You Have to Walk to Lose Weight?

Increase your speed at a gradual rate until you reach a brisk pace of 4 mph. Someone who weighs 185 pounds will burn a total of 800 calories in two hours. Whether you can keep up this level of speed every day for two hours depends on your ultimate goal. To lose weight, yes, but to become strong and fit, consider adding strength-training workouts at least twice a week.

Plan your meals around your walking routine. Ward off hunger and keep your energy up for the two hours you are walking by eating a snack made up of a lean protein and complex carbohydrates. An example would be low-fat fruit yogurt, a whole grain bagel and peanut butter or a turkey sandwich.

Consume a high protein snack within 30 minutes of the end of your workout. Examples include a protein bar, protein shake, chocolate milk, a serving of almonds or a low-fat cheese stick.

Make your walks more challenging. To lose even more weight, use a treadmill to increase the incline of your walk. Begin at 1 percent and increase the incline until you reach 7 percent. Or if you crave being out in nature, find some hilly terrain and start climbing.

ACE Fitness, a long-time proponent of HIIT or high-intensity interval-training workouts, suggests adding intervals to your treadmill workout. It's doubtful you could keep up the intensity for two hours, but you can lose weight by committing to a HIIT workout on the treadmill in less time.