2-Week Walk Off the Belly Fat Guide

by Jessica Smith
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If you’re ready to take action to lose some unwanted extra pounds at your middle, good for you! Shedding excess belly fat isn’t just about vanity, it’s about improving your health and reducing your risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and more. While belly fat may be the most dangerous type of fat, the good news is it’s also the easiest to lose with healthy habits that include regular exercise, a nutritious diet and quality sleep.

This two-week walking plan can help you get started with consistent, belly fat-reducing exercise (when paired with a caloric deficit in your diet). Simply follow the recommended schedule below, adjusting to your personal needs and schedule as you see fit.

Unable to walk outdoors? No problem! You can also do these walks on a treadmill or using an indoor track, too. Once you have completed these two weeks, feel free to repeat the plan again, or try our 6-Week Belly Fat Blasting Plan next!

2-Week Walk Off the Belly Fat Guide

Note: Durations are suggestions, so feel free to shorten or extend your walks based on your current fitness and energy levels.

THE WALKS

When it comes to your walking pace, gauge your intensity on a scale of 1–10. A 5–6 effort should have you breathing quickly but able to carry on a conversation easily. An 8–9 effort should have you breathing very heavily and able to answer yes or no questions only. Since your intensity varies with your personal fitness level, vary your duration (if you are just starting out, work your way up to longer sessions), and adjust your speed and power to reach the recommended effort range for each walk.

ENDURANCE WALK [30—60 MINUTES]

This walk is all about building your overall aerobic fitness and endurance. After walking for 3–5 minutes at an easy pace to warm up, focus on maintaining a steady effort level of a 5–6 intensity until you’ve completed your session for the day (spend about 3–5 minutes walking at an easy pace to cool down, catch your breath and complete your walk).

INTERVAL TRAINING WALK [20—30 MINUTES]

Interval training can help you walk further in a shorter amount of time, so focus on speed and intensity over duration for this session. After walking for 3–5 minutes at an easy pace to warm up, begin repeating your interval sets. Spend 3–5 minutes walking at a brisk pace, at an intensity of about a 5–6, the power walk or jog for up to 1 minute at an intensity of an 8–9. When you’ve completed your session for the day, spend 3–5 minutes walking at an easy pace to cool down, catch your breath and complete your walk. Tailor your training to meet your current level by lengthening your brisk pace timeframe and going for shorter interval pushes to start, adjusting your pace as you build your fitness.

STRENGTH CIRCUIT WALK [30—60 MINUTES]

Adding in intervals of resistance training can help you develop total-body strength and metabolically active muscle. After a 3–5 minute warmup walk, alternate 3–5-minute intervals of a steady, power pace (RPE 5–6) with 30–60 seconds of bodyweight only, strength-building moves such as squats, lunges, pushups, dips, bridges, planks, etc. (Check out this sample plan here for more ideas and form tips.) Wind down by spending the last 5 minutes at a more comfortable pace and allow your breathing and heart rate to recover.

STRESS-RELIEVING WALK [15—60 MINUTES]

Research shows stress relief is a great way to help reduce belly-fat causing cortisol levels, and this easy pace, active recovery session is an excellent way to let go of tension. This walk should almost feel like a moving meditation. Enjoy your movement time (stride at a comfortable 3–4 effort level) — take in your surroundings, focus on feeling good and try to be mindful of your breath and steps along the way.

STRETCH [5—20 MINUTES]

On your off days, stretching can help you stay moderately active while you work on your mobility, which can help you utilize a more full range of motion during your stride and ultimately perform better during your walks. Try these stretches in the morning to start your day, energize your body at any time with these dynamic stretches or wind down before bed with these tension-reducing stretches.

Check out “Workout Routines” in the MyFitnessPal app to discover and log workouts or build your own with exercises that fit your goals.

About the Author

Jessica Smith

As someone who struggled to lose weight for years, Jessica found that the key to her own 40-pound weight loss was making small, healthy lifestyle changes that led to big, lasting results. Now, as a certified wellcoach, fitness instructor and personal trainer, she has spent the last 15 years helping students and clients reach their goals in New York City, Los Angeles and Miami. She now reaches millions online through her YouTube Channel and home exercise DVD series. Please visit walkonwalkstrong.com to learn more about her fun, results-driven programs for all levels of exercisers.

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