Burn Calories Walking 2 mph

You can burn calories walking at a speed of 2mph every day. This the speed of a leisurely walk. Brisk walking is at a speed of 3-4mph.

Burn more calories walking at 2mph

A research at the University of Colorado at Boulder claimed that a leisurely walk at 2mph can burn more calories per mile than brisk walking at 3-4mph. The research also found that very obese people burn more calories per mile walking because of the extra weight that they have to carry while walking.

When you move slowly, your body loses the efficiency of being in motion and therefore your muscles have to work harder with each step. This makes your muscles burn more calories to work harder to move. This is why you burn more calories from walking slowly than you do from brisk walking.

Downside to a leisurely walk to burn calories

Since you're walking slowly at 2mph, your heart rate doesn't increase high enough for your body to benefit from the effect of aerobic training so you should include other aerobic exercises like swimming, cycling, step exercises and elliptical training workouts into your daily routine.

Upside to leisurely walking

Walking slowly is easy on the joints as compared to running and jogging which are high impact exercises. When you're running, you burn sugar and carbs but walking allows your metabolism enough time to switch from burning carbs to burning fats.

Making slow walking increase your heart rate

Slow walking by itself doesn't increase your heart rate. What you can do to increase your heart rate while you're walking is to carry weights on your leisurely walks. This will not only make your muscles work harder but will also increase your heart rate. Try to move the weights up and down as this will use up more energy. Hold the weights in your hands and swing your hands while you're walking. This extra movement will help to increase your heart rate.

Walk on uneven surfaces and even better walk uphill or up stairs. You'll feel the muscles in your thighs working to expend the energy needed for this movement and at the same time your heart rate will also increase. (Please consult your doctor before embarking on any exercises that involve any changes in your lifestyle)

Walking to burn calories

Being easy to do and the least expensive, you should definitely attempt to burn calories walking every day.