Obesity and excess body weight are major health concerns, affecting people from all walks of life. Increased weight brings a higher risk of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and even cardiovascular diseases. Among the various forms of exercise, there is one that requires no equipment, no expensive clothes—just a good pair of shoes and a little time from our busy schedules. This workout is none other than walkingThis article will review a 12-week randomised controlled trial that evaluated these effects in overweight and obese adults, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating moderate walking into weight loss strategies.

What was the study about and its findings

A 12-week randomized controlled trial has revealed the potent role that moderate walking can play in improving the loss of fat mass and metabolic health when added to an energy-restricted diet in overweight and obese adults. The trial pitted two groups against each other: one was given a calorie-restricted diet alone, while another received the same diet plus a moderate walking program amounting to about 2.5 hours weekly.The groups were divided into two:

Main conclusions were that although both groups had impressive weight loss across the intervention period, the diet combined with moderate walking resulted in larger decreases in fat mass. More precisely, the group that participated in moderate walking in combination with dieting lost 6.4 kilograms of fat mass on average compared to 4.8 kilograms in the group that was on the diet alone. There is a significant 33% increase in fat loss from the introduction of moderate walking.The advantages went beyond fat reduction. The diet-plus-walking group also demonstrated substantial improvement in serum insulin concentrations and insulin resistance, as assessed by HOMA-IR, which did not occur in the diet-only group. This indicates that moderate walking not only contributes to fat loss but also increases insulin sensitivity, a key factor in preventing and treating metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.

Need for trial

It emphasised the effectiveness of moderate walking, which is a low cost, accessible form of exercise. For obese and overweight individuals, integrating regular walking along with a calorie-deficient diet can deliver significantly better results.Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of physical activity with a multitude of health benefits. A brisk walk of at least 30 minutes on most days, is all we need to reap the advantages with the intensity described as brisk enough to talk but not sing comfortably. Add walking to your routine, walking a dog, or taking stairs is all one needs to stay fit. It is as easy as it gets.