{"id":568209,"date":"2026-07-25T23:55:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T23:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/568209\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T23:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T23:55:12","slug":"the-walking-hack-that-burns-stubborn-age-related-fat-at-double-speed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/568209\/","title":{"rendered":"The Walking Hack That Burns Stubborn Age-Related Fat At Double Speed"},"content":{"rendered":"

A groundbreaking University of Queensland<\/a> discovery promises to turn your next walk<\/a> into a powerful \u201cHIIT routine for fat loss.\u201d The approach is so easy and so effective, it even helped a group of weak and weight-loss-resistant seniors get lean and strong at double speed. The secret: tucking 16 minutes of effort inside an ordinary stroll. \u201cAlmost anyone can do it,\u201d says Milica McDowell, MS, DPT, co-author of the new bestseller Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity\u2014One Step at a Time<\/a>. \u201cAnd results are often remarkable!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

How intervals help you walk off fat two times faster<\/p>\n

The double-speed fat loss in the new study was something called high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. Participants (including folks up to age 76!) went back and forth between 3 minutes at an easy pace and then 4 minutes at a high intensity, repeating this pattern 4 times, for a total of 16 high-intensity minutes.<\/p>\n

While HIIT isn\u2019t new, this is one of the first times it\u2019s been tested on stubborn age-related weight gain\u2014and it did not disappoint.When scientists measured fat loss, the HIIT group burned twice as much as a group who exercised steadily at medium intensity. And separate research has found that \u201cpeople often find HIIT feels easier than steady-pace exercise,\u201d says McDowell.<\/p>\n

Why walking + HIIT makes fat burning soar<\/p>\n

\u201cWith HIIT, you go hard, rest, then push again,\u201d explains McDowell. Just as continuously stepping on and off the gas causes your car to guzzle fuel, HIIT causes your body to guzzle oxygen\u2014which makes fat burning surge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McDowell adds that there\u2019s also the \u201cafterburn.\u201dBasically, once your body is in fuel-guzzling mode, it stays there for up to 10 hours. That\u2019s compared with just 30 minutes or so after steady-pace exercise, per a European study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bonus: HIIT also makes you produce about 450 percent more human growth hormone<\/a>, which helps build metabolism-boosting muscle. In the Queensland study, the HIIT group gained muscle while the steady-state group lost muscle. Muscle doesn\u2019t directly increase fat burn, but it does make you burn more calories around the clock. And it also gives you more stamina for fat-burning activities.<\/p>\n

Microwalking Helped Her Lose 105 Lbs\u2014And It\u2019s Just 1,000 Steps a Day!<\/a><\/p>\n

An HIIT routine for fat loss gets you so motivated<\/p>\n

HIIT works with most forms of exercise, but many of us favor walking\u2014and McDowell says HIIT is ideal for leveling up the free, convenient activity. Not only will it set you up for weight loss and health gains galore, \u201cit\u2019s more engaging than a mundane steady-state walk\u2014we call it a novel stimulus,\u201d says McDowell. \u201cIt can be very good for boosting brain activity and motivation.\u201d So you\u2019re more likely to walk consistently once HIIT is part of your routine.<\/p>\n

The smart way to create a walking HIIT routine for fat loss<\/p>\n

Since high intensity is involved, McDowell recommends 7 minutes of gentle walking to warm up muscles and joints and help prevent injury. After that, beginners can set a timer and start with 2 minutes at higher intensity followed by 5 minutes of easy walking. Repeat this 3 to 4 times. Very gradually work up to the study\u2019s pattern: 3 minutes easy walking and 4 minutes at high-intensity, repeated four times.<\/p>\n

As for what \u201chigh intensity\u201d means, you should be breathing very hard but still able to say a few words, says McDowell. Pay attention to your body and adapt your speed accordingly. Don\u2019t push too hard. The ultimate goal, she adds, is to feel good, get fit and create a new routine \u201cthat is sustainable for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now you might be wondering how big a difference HIIT walking makes. For Lorelei Navarro, it was huge\u2026<\/p>\n

HIIT walking success story: Lorelei Navarro, 49, lost 45 pounds<\/p>\n

Like so many of us, Lorelei blames age-related hormonal changes and a love of eating for the spare pounds she carried for years. Did she try to slim down? Yes. \u201cI\u2019d do brisk walks then lose motivation because they tired me out and I saw no real improvement,\u201d shares the Texas mom, 49.<\/p>\n

Diagnosed with high blood pressure<\/a> and type 2 diabetes, she took a long look in the mirror. \u201cI wanted to be healthy for my family, age well, be strong and independent later in life,\u201d she says. So she started looking for ways to make it happen.<\/p>\n

An Instagram post on \u201cJapanese interval walking\u201d caught her eye. It was a version of HIIT walking created at Shinshu University in Japan. \u201cI was intrigued by how simple it seemed,\u201d Lorelei recalls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To do it, \u201cyou just alternate between three minutes at a slow pace and three minutes of brisk walking,\u201d she says. Lorelei set two timers on her phone, one for the total time she planned to walk (often 40 to 50 minutes) and another for three minutes (which she restarted for each interval). \u201cI liked the cadence, and there was ample time to relax, so I didn\u2019t get fatigued.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denise Austin Is a Fan of Walking To Lose Belly Fat\u2014It Can Trim Your Waist 4\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Success with interval walking gave Lorelei momentum\u00a0<\/p>\n

Boosted by her walks, Lorelei felt motivated to find more ways to improve her health. Prime example: She also heard that intermittent fasting<\/a> might help with her diabetes, so she began aiming to eat healthy foods\u2014going easy on sugar, bread, rice and pasta\u2014between noon and 8 pm each day, consuming only water or black coffee the rest of the time. \u201cI did that Monday to Friday for several months,\u201d she shares. \u201cIt made it so much easier to eat better!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lorelei says she saw results after just a few weeks of walking and eating better. But even when plateaus hit, she stayed consistent. After five months, her blood pressure and blood sugar had normalized. At seven months, she was 45 pounds lighter.<\/p>\n

Today, she\u2019s more active than ever (even adding Taekwondo classes and rowing to her regimen) and loving life:\u201cI highly recommend interval walking!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Keep reading for more ways to stay healthy<\/p>\n

7 Foods That Lower A1C Fast\u2014One Could Help Reverse Prediabetes in Just Three Months<\/a><\/p>\n

Can You Stop Taking Statins? What Cardiologists Say About Heart Attack and Stroke Risk<\/a><\/p>\n

This 30-Second Vagus Nerve Exercise Erases Menopausal Brain Fog Fast<\/a><\/p>\n

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A groundbreaking University of Queensland discovery promises to turn your next walk into a powerful \u201cHIIT routine for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[499,103,61,60],"class_list":["post-568209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}