×

This article on Epainassist.com has been reviewed by a medical professional, as well as checked for facts, to assure the readers the best possible accuracy.

We follow a strict editorial policy and we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding any level of plagiarism. Our articles are resourced from reputable online pages. This article may contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

The feedback link “Was this Article Helpful” on this page can be used to report content that is not accurate, up-to-date or questionable in any manner.

This article does not provide medical advice.

1

Does Walking Flatten Your Stomach?

The task of reducing body weight is no small deal. This becomes all the more difficult when the stomach in particular is in concern. At the time of working on your body weight, you will observe fat around the stomach is one of the most difficult areas which simply refuse to come back in proper shape. Several exercises and tough working out patterns have been attempted by people but with not exactly satisfactory results. Amidst all these fancy exercising patterns one of the simplest forms of exercises which has been thought to be really effective in reducing stomach fat is walking.

Does Walking Flatten your Stomach?

Research in the Rush University Medical Center has revealed for a flat stomach having an active lifestyle is more than imperative. Research in the Journal of Exercise, Nutrition, and Biochemistry in 2014 has revealed obese women can gain immense benefit out of walking for fifty to seventy minutes three times a week. If they can continue this pattern for a time of twelve weeks, it can give them considerable results.(1)

However, walking will not give you six-pack abs. Walking does not work the stomach muscles directly as mainly the internal obliques muscles are engaged at the time of walking in order to stabilize the pelvis. In case one suffers from lower back pain, it is more likely that the person would actually use the stomach muscles while walking to take off some tension from the back. The Journal of Inquiry, Function, and Rehabilitation in 2015 has revealed that the muscles of external obliques, front abs or the rectus abdominus muscles are the ones which work when a person with back pain walks (2). However, in this situation, it isn’t enough to tone the stomach muscles and make them flat.

What are the Benefits of Walking?

Walking is known to have multiple health benefits and some of them are:

Great Way To Burn Calories

One of the simplest theories behind taming your tummy back to shape is to burn all the extra calories you have stored in your body. A Harvard research has revealed although walking is a very simple form of exercise and does not happen to be a high-intensity workout pattern; it can burn a good amount of calories. The effects and the results of brisk walking can be similar to other exercises such as aerobics and whitewater rafting. It can burn a total of 600 calories if done in a proper manner.(3) This can help you to flatten your stomach and bring your belly back to shape. Moreover, for best results, be very vigilant about the food you eat during this time. A proper diet in proper amounts can be of much help again to flatten the stomach.

Benefits of Walking for Growing Muscles

Walking is one of the best forms of exercises that can also lead to the growth of lean muscles in your body. This will also include your region of the stomach. However, this muscle growth will not be as significant as it would be if you are doing things like rowing or weight lifting, yet the boost in the muscle growth of your body and also your stomach region will be significant. The growth of lean muscle in your body will help to keep your stomach to flattened and toned.(4)

Walking to Improve Posture

Walking on an uphill terrain can be all the more beneficial for flattening your stomach. This is a particularly strenuous exercise which makes the oblique and the rectus abdominus muscles tighter and much more stable. This helps to flatten your stomach and also improve your looks and posture to a great extent.(5) When you are walking uphill, these muscles are increasingly engaged and this helps to strengthen them and make them tighter.

Walking helps to De-stress

One of the main factors which are responsible for the increase in your belly fat is stress. When you stress too much your body produces a hormone called cortisol.

Accumulation of too much cortisol will lead to fat pockets and will settle around the region of your naval or a little lower.(6) This can give a muffin top look to your belly. Walking in a calm and natural surrounding can help you to reduce your stress level. This can also reduce the cortisol level in your body. As a result, the work of burning out the fat content in your belly becomes much easier.

Tips to Follow While Walking

The position in which you are walking creates a major influence on the benefits you can get out of the exercise. You must not walk in a slouched position as relaxing your abdomen will not do much to flatten your stomach. Do not hunch your shoulders and try to maintain a straight upper back so that the maximum torso stamina can be built.

Hence you must walk with your head pointed slightly towards the sky which also helps to extend the spine. You can also draw your shoulder blades together which will lift your torso. Brisk walking is always a better idea than a casual stroll. You must also wear proper footwear so you can walk in a comfortable manner.(7)

Conclusion

Walking is a form of exercise that has been followed by millions of people across the world for a long time now. This is a simple form of exercise offers a large plethora of benefits to the human body. Additionally, this is a format of workout does not require any expensive apparatus or setup. Again, walking is a form of exercise you can do all by yourself and also in a group. Although, it directly does not help to flatten the stomach; yet a regular walk can help in burning out a lot of calories and thus help in reducing the overall weight. It helps control weight and also keeps a number of problems at bay such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes, hypertension, stress and many more. Be careful to wear the right kind of clothes and shoes so that you can be comfortable while walking and can walk all the stretch you want to.

References:

Also Read:

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:May 22, 2020

Recent Posts

Related Posts