How Does Walking Increase Metabolism?

Heat

Metabolism is when food, in the form of calories, is burned to create heat or energy. Your metabolic rate determines how fast, slow or efficiently you burn calories. Often times, you are born with a certain metabolic rate. This predisposed metabolic rate can be altered by changing the diet or by exercising. That is where walking comes into the equation. When a person is walking, there is more heat being generated inside the body. This causes metabolism to rise.

Lean Muscle Mass

Another way walking impacts metabolism is the fact that it can build lean muscle mass. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. This means that it burns more calories for it's existence. Being that the legs are a large muscle group and they are responsible for walking, then you can actually build a good amount of muscle. The more muscle you build, the higher your metabolism will be.

Interval

Interval walking can increase your metabolism to a greater extent in the hours after you are done. This is done by alternating your pace back and forth from slow to fast. An example of this would be walking at a normal pace for 10 minutes, then alternating between walking fast for 30 seconds and walking moderate for 60 seconds. You would then do this for 20-to-30 minutes and finish up with a normal paced walk.

Weigh Down

Adding resistance to your body while walking will also raise metabolism. This will cause you to work harder which will burn more calories. You can wear ankle weights, wrist weights, a weighted vest, a back pack full of books or you can just carry hand held dumb-bells. The extra weight will also cause you to work more muscle fiber. This will not only increase metabolism, but it will also build more muscle which is metabolically active.