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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
These 5 Tips Will Help You Burn More Fat During Every Walk. Here's How To Walk Smarter, Not Longer.
Apart from being a low-impact exercise that you can do literally anytime, anywhere, walking can be just as great (if not better!) at spurring weight loss compared to high-intensity boot camps and other balls-to-the-wall workouts, says personal trainer Chris Freytag, CPT, founder of Get Healthy U TV, and board member of the American Council of Exercise. In fact, one Risk Analysis study found that women who go for regular brisk walks tend to have lower body mass indexes than those who opt for other forms of exercise. Plus, the other health benefits of walking are pretty major: the activity can help with brain health, longevity, and more. If weight loss is your goal, try amping up your walk with these expert-approved tips: 1. Walk fast enough to make talking hard 'Since so many people don't have time for two-hour walks every day, making the most of the time you have is key,' Freytag says. 'By adding some speed and intensity to your walks, you can up your calorie burn, improve your lung capacity, and absolutely take off some pounds.' To make sure your intensity is where it needs to be, focus on your breathing. If you're walking along at a fat-burning rate, you should only be able to get out a few words at a time without taking a breath, she says. Ready to make walking a regular part of your routine? Get the WH+ Exclusive 4-Week Walking Plan that burns fat and builds muscle at the same time. 2. Add some slower intervals Still, you don't need to race through your entire workout to help with weight loss. In fact, Ohio State University research shows that altering your walking speed burns up to 20 percent more calories than walking at a steady pace. Think of it sort of like driving on the highway without cruise control. By regularly letting on and off of the gas and break pedals, you burn through way more gas—a.k.a. calories, according to researchers. You don't have to follow a structured speed plan, though. (But if you prefer a plan, we got you.) Just try walking as fast as you can to that next tree, then slow down. Then, speed back up when you hit the fire hydrant. You get the idea. 3. Unless you walk in the morning, skip pre-workout snacks While exercising on empty is never a good weight-loss strategy, you don't need to pump calories or carbs before walking workouts the way you do before intense boot camps or 10-mile runs, says Tori Holthaus, RDN, founder of YES! Nutrition. That's because walking probably won't deplete your body's stored carbs as quickly as higher-intensity exercises. Simply eating balanced meals and snacks containing whole carbs, lean protein, and healthy fat throughout the day will provide you with all of the energy you need to power through the vast majority of your walks, she says. If, however, you like to go on walks first thing in the morning, eat something before you head out the door, since you probably haven't eaten in the last eight hours. You can also mix some protein powder into your water bottle to help keep your blood sugar levels stabilized, says San Diego bariatric surgeon Julie Ellner, MD. 4. Refuel after walking 60 minutes or more Though it's not a huge deal if you don't eat after a quick 30-minute walk, it's very important to refuel after hitting the road for an hour or more. 'In this case, your glycogen stores will be depleted, and you need to replenish those stores to feed your muscles,' Freytag says. Opt for a small, post-walk snack that contains a roughly three-to-one ratio of carbs to protein. Some solid choices include a banana with nut butter, piece of whole-grain avocado toast, or glass of chocolate milk. 5. Incorporate resistance training Walking is a great way to lose weight, but to make sure that you aren't losing muscle mass, you need to integrate strength training into your routine, Ellner says. Stop every 10 minutes during your walks to perform a few sets of pushups, lunges, squats, or other bodyweight exercises, says Freytag. Once you finish off your last rep, keep walking. Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Challenge Get the Workouts Get the Challenge Get the Challenge Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Challenge Get the Workouts You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Is The Juice Worth The Squeeze: Energy-Efficiency Projects Make Cents
Homeowners can have both energy efficient heating/cooling and savings with the help of an energy ... More analyst. With the burden of rising energy costs, many homeowners are feeling the pinch in their pockets. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling reports that 'Government agencies define utilities above 6% of your income as a high energy burden.' However, it is not just the high energy costs that are the issue, but also the site's energy consumption that is driving up the bill. But there is hope—energy efficiency projects can provide relief from this financial strain. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the average U.S. household spends about 3.1% of income on energy, while low-income households spend more than 8%, with some exceeding 16%. To resolve high energy utilization, homeowners should look into home energy-retrofit projects that are cost-effective—meaning that the investment has a positive impact on the household budget. Take a look at the Forbes article in April titled, 'Our Energy Bills Are High, And This Is Why,' to learn about the 'why' behind high energy bills. After an energy audit, the building science practitioner should review the report with the homeowner. The report should capture all diagnostic testing and show where the customer should start investing. The energy-modeling software report should provide detailed information to empower customers to make informed decisions. The solutions often come with cost-benefit metrics such as 'Simple Payback,' 'Savings-to-Investment Ratio (SIR),' and 'Return on Investment (ROI),' all of which can give homeowners a sense of control over their energy usage and costs. Simple payback is a financial metric that calculates how quickly an investment is recovered. This may be important to some people, as money has more value today than it will in the future due to inflation. This concept is known as the 'Time Value of Money.' For commercial projects, the ideal goal is for a project to pay for itself within five years. In the residential sector, projects are considered fair if they pay for themselves within 10 years or less. Example: Retrofit costs $1,000 and saves $100 per year. Payback = (1,000/100) = 10 years The SIR metric indicates that a project will pay for itself. To calculate the SIR, divide a project's savings by its initial investment. The SIR considers the life cycle cost of the retrofit project. An SIR of 1 means that the project will pay for itself in its useful life. The higher the number, the more the project will pay for itself. SIR may not matter to some customers, as comfort may be what they value. For example, in the Midwest region of the country with short summers, an air conditioner, even if considered high efficiency, will not run long enough to offset its initial investment. Despite this, customers still want to be comfortable and will purchase the system anyway. $30,000.00 (existing system) - $20,000.00 (cost of the new system) = $10,000.00 (savings) $10,000.00 (savings) ÷ $5,000.00 (initial cost) = 2 SIR 2 SIR means the retrofit will pay for itself twice during its life cycle. The Annual Return is the interest rate your money earns on your retrofit project. It is similar to returns in a 401(k) or investment account. The Annual Return is the reciprocal of the SIR. To calculate the Annual Return, take the annual savings of a project and divide it by the initial investment of the project. Example: Retrofit costs $1,000 and saves $100 per year. Annual Return = (100/1,000) = 10% The energy savings from the project can often cover the financing payments, making the retrofit budget-neutral. In conclusion, energy-efficiency retrofit projects are not just practical—they are essential. They empower homeowners to lower utility costs, increase comfort, and invest wisely in their property's future. With supportive data, financing options, and a clear return on investment, the case is clear: energy efficiency is a smart financial move and a step toward a more sustainable, affordable lifestyle.
CNET
05-05-2025
- Health
- CNET
You Don't Have to Run to Burn Fat — Just Do This
Losing weight takes time, consistency and a little determination, but cardio isn't the only way to get there. You don't need to spend hours running to see results. Sticking to a balanced diet and adding regular strength training into your routine can make a big difference - and yes, you can lose fat while building muscle at the same time. Strength training boosts your metabolism, helps you burn more calories during workouts and increases muscle mass, which means you're burning fat even after you leave the gym. I spoke with fitness pros to break down how lifting weights supports fat loss and what you can do to make your workouts more effective. Looking for more fitness tips? Check out how many calories you need to burn to lose weight, simple ways to shed body fat at home, and how to achieve that elusive balance of losing weight while gaining lean muscle. Strength training can help you burn more versus strength training There's a constant back-and-forth argument about which is more efficient in reaching your ideal physique: cardio or strength training. According to New York City-based personal trainer Oscar Colon IV, cardio is ideal for burning more calories during a workout session — and it's key to keeping your heart strong — but strength training affects your body differently. "Strength training has a two-pronged effect because you burn calories during the workout and during the recovery and restoration of muscle groups you worked," he says. As a result, you get more results for your effort. It's still a good idea to incorporate both cardio and strength training into a well-balanced fitness plan, so you can reap all the benefits. How much you do of one or the other may also depend on your current goals. If you're training for your first marathon, cardio will be your main focus as you build endurance, whereas strength training will be a priority when you're trying to get stronger or build muscle. Putting on muscle helps you burn calories even at rest. Getty Images How muscles affect your ability to burn fat As mentioned, strength training can help you burn more calories during and after your workout. This is thanks to the lean muscle you gain as a result of strength training. If your goal is to lose weight, having more lean muscle can help the process. This also means that the more lean muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. Your resting metabolic rate, or RMR, refers to the total number of calories your body burns when it's at rest. Biologically speaking, resting metabolism aids your organ functions, neurological functions, breathing and blood circulation. Rachel MacPherson, an American Council of Exercise-certified personal trainer, performance specialist and Garage Gym Reviews expert, explains that muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even at rest, and although the effect is small, it's significant and does add up over time. "This also helps to counteract the decline of metabolism and muscle mass as you age, which can contribute to middle-age weight gain," she says. Strength training also has fat-burning benefits when you're fresh off a workout. "Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is the process of your body regulating itself back to homeostasis after a strenuous workout," Colon explains. In other words, you're still burning calories as you recover, since your body stays warm for a while as it cools down. Studies have shown that beginners tend to put on muscle faster than those experienced with strength training. Getty Images How long it takes to put on muscle Now that you know that lean muscle is the key component in fat burning, you're probably wondering how long it takes to build muscle. This will vary from person to person, since genetics, hormones, gender, diet and other factors play a role in how much muscle you put on and how quickly. "If you consistently train three to four times a week for 30 minutes each session, you should realistically start to see results in three to four weeks," Colon says. MacPherson says you can put on muscle mass each week, and doing a 12- to 16-week hypertrophy training program is ideal for seeing a significant amount of muscle gain. "You can expect upwards of five to 10 pounds of muscle gain during this time," she explains, adding, "As you become more advanced you will need to work harder for less gain, but you will still see results." That's another interesting aspect of strength training: If you're a beginner, you tend to have an advantage over someone more experienced when building muscle. This is what some people refer to as "newbie gains," which refers to your body's muscle-building response to lifting weights since it's not used to this kind of stimulus. Research has shown that untrained individuals (those with minimal to no strength training experience) can put on muscle faster than someone who's already experienced with strength training. Generally speaking, men and women also have different results when building muscle mass. "Men can build muscle mass much easier and faster than women due to testosterone, while women can still build substantial amounts of muscle, but will never look as large or full as men unless they use anabolic steroids," says MacPherson. "It's vital that women lift enough volume and weight while also eating enough to support muscle gain." This means letting go of the old-school mentality of dieting and shrinking yourself, otherwise it'll inhibit your ability to build muscle. Besides a well-regimented workout plan, a diet that supports muscle-building is key too. MacPherson says, "In order to build muscle, you need to eat in a calorie surplus with plenty of protein." She explains that eating in a surplus will lead you to gain some body fat, which is normal and necessary to gain muscle. "You can lose it afterward and it will be easier since your body has become better at burning calories due to increased muscle mass," she adds. Strength training has excellent health benefits. Getty Images Other benefits to lifting weights Besides helping you metabolize and get stronger, strength training has other benefits. Colon says it's also important for bone development and density. "Weight-bearing exercises put temporary stress on your bones, sending a message to bone-building cells to take action and rebuild bones stronger," he says. Another benefit tied to strength training is reducing your risk of injury by improving the strength, range of motion and mobility of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. "This can reinforce strength around major joints like your knees, hips, and ankles to provide additional protection against injury," Colon says. Another plus is for your heart, since strength training is shown to help decrease blood pressure. You can also reduce the chances of type 2 diabetes, improve blood circulation and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Exercise has been shown to even have a positive effect on your mental health, and resistance training has been found to ease anxiety as well. Bottom line It's helpful to know the unique effects strength training has on your body as you establish a consistent exercise routine. Not only will you naturally burn more fat by having more muscle, but you'll maintain strength as you age and improve other functions of your life as well. If you don't have access to a gym, you can start your exercise regimen at home and still get the same results, as long as you have the proper equipment. Even if your goal isn't weight loss or body recomposition, strength training provides many benefits that make it worth adding to your lifestyle, and it'll only improve your well-being in the long run.
