How walking 2 miles a day can help you reduce belly fat.

Belly fat is very stubborn and unwanted by many of us. What is even more irritating is how seemingly difficult it is to get rid of. You might have heard that moving more can help, like walking 2 miles a day. But can walking 2 miles a day reduce belly fat, honestly?

Walking 2 miles a day can help reduce belly fat by lowering your body’s overall fat levels. It is not possible to spot, reduce and specifically target belly fat, it is a byproduct of your overall health. Walking 2 miles a day still has several benefits that can improve your lifestyle. 

To gain a better understanding of the benefits of walking 2 miles a day and also other options to reduce belly fat, continue reading. 

Can Walking 2 Miles a Day Reduce Belly Fat

I already mentioned that spot reduction is not possible. Many people have tried and failed, and yet still there are those who believe in it or want you to believe in it so you can buy their product.

To save you plenty of time and headache, let’s get it out of the way that it is just not doable. 

Now that you know that walking 2 miles a day to reduce belly fat specifically isn’t necessarily true, here is how it can still help aid that battle.

Walking 2 miles a day can help reduce belly fat by reducing overall fat, 

and promoting an overall active lifestyle.

Reduces overall fat

Aside from reality, you should accept that spot reducing fat is not possible because if it was, you would be left with a disproportionate body. For example a smaller tummy but still face and arm fat present.

I assume you would rather not end up in a situation like that. 

Walking 2 miles a day can help reduce OVERALL body fat by increasing your energy output and potentially putting yourself into a calorie deficit. 

Because at the end of the day, no matter the method, diet, or workout plan, being in a calorie deficit is the most vital rule for losing weight and thus body fat. 

Walking is great for burning those extra calories needed. It fits in most schedules and works for most people compared to a more intense exercise like running.

 Just make sure to keep track with your phone or a fitness watch!

(Read: 5 reasons why Losing Weight By Walking Really works and can speed up your weight loss today.) 

Promotes a healthy lifestyle

Having high motivation and a gameplan to get you to your end goal is great and all, but developing a true healthy lifestyle lets you not only have an easier time but also helps you to not lose your gains. 

Walking has long been proven to be a mentally relaxing activity. It was shown to be effective at combating depression in this study by the University of Michigan.

Creating associations like these with health and fitness is important to creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself. 

It helps give you reason to keep going when times are tough and even something to look forward to during  those times. 

How can you reduce stomach fat in other ways?

 If you’re a little disappointed that walking can’t help your stomach fat as much as you thought, here are some other ways to reduce belly fat.

The general guideline goes as follows and is the most common recipe regardless of what diets or workout plenty try.

Be in a calorie deficit, meaning that you burn more calories each day than you consume.

Increase your activity so that way you don’t need to be eating an extremely low amount of calories just to be in a deficit. This is where walking really does come in handy because it can be an easy way to increase your activity level.

And finally consider strength training because it has plenty of health benefits but also can increase your metabolism overtime by increasing muscle mass. 

If you are short on space, there are still plenty of equipment options for you like a foldable workout bench or adjustable dumbbells.

How long does it take to notice weight loss from walking

Once you become committed to walking 2 miles a day to reduce belly fat, you might start wondering how long does it take to notice weight loss?

This is going to depend on the calorie deficit you create. If you haven’t decided yet, go use a calorie calculator to get started. 

Here is a small chart you can reference.

(This varies from person to person, as other factors can affect your own results.)

Tips for how to start with your new routine of walking 2 miles a day to reduce belly fat

 So how do you get started with a routine of walking 2 miles a day? 

Here is a very quick start guide to help you. 

Be clear and realistic with your goals

 The 1st thing you want to do before you start walking 2 miles a day is be very clear and realistic with why you want to do so. 

To put it simply, find out what your goals are and why you want them to be such. 

The reason you would want to do this is to look back on something when times are tough motivation isn’t going to be there on your entire journey. 

Next you also don’t want your goals to come from a place of negativity. 

Plenty of people begin diets and exercise because they hate their own bodies or the habits they’ve created. 

Once that self resentment goes away, The negative lifestyle is likely to return.

 Create positive tools by focusing on how they can help you and by being realistic with time and in results.

Plan to Set time aside

 Once you have your goals set and well understood it’s time to plan when you are going to go on your long walks. 

 On average it takes an individual between 15 and 20 minutes to walk a mile at an average pace. 

 So 2 miles roughly takes you about 30 to 40 minutes, not exactly short enough time to put absolutely anywhere in your busy day. 

 Consider fitting your walks in times like early morning, your lunch breaks or afternoon.

 Setting  Your schedule ahead of time will help with consistency.

Commit

Finally you’re just gonna have to put a lot of effort into committing to your new lifestyle. 

Fitting something like walking 2 miles every day and your routine is gonna be pretty difficult so instead of doing a daily exercise maybe start slow knowing that you have a lot of leeway. 

And then once you’re comfortable you can fully implement it in your schedule. 

Walking 2 miles A-day might help you with your belly fat but if you can’t be consistent with it,  The results are just gonna be plain like luster.

If you want the best results, make sure to pair your new walking routine with a healthy diet and a strength training routine.

(Read: how to make a meal plan to lose weight)  

Check out my free “Foundations” beginners workout plan if you don’t know where to start.