A walk a day could really keep the doctor away – just ask Pitch Perfect star, Rebel Wilson. The 41-year-old actress dubbed 2020 as her ‘Year of Health’, aiming to become healthier and lose weight. Fast-forward to today, and the Australian has lost a whopping 75 lbs. So how did she do it? Well, according to the actress, her secret to weight loss was all about putting one foot in front of the other.
Rebel Wilson: Walking Helped Me Lose Weight
“An Austrian doctor said ‘Rebel, the best way for you to lose unwanted body fat is by just simply walking, it doesn’t have to be high intensity or uphill… just simply walk an hour a day.”
Speaking on the Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk podcast, Wilson shared that she had visited an Austrian health retreat that advised her to take things slowly when it came to her 2020 health journey.
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“It just made me think: OK I should take it a bit easier on myself, and just do it gently and do it lightly. So in 2020, I lost weight but very, very gradually.” Wilson added that she sometimes increased the intensity of her workouts, but the majority of the time, she spent the year doing things like walking for an hour.
Can walking help you lose weight?
According to studies, yes, walking is a great way to manage your weight. Findings published last year at the American Physiological Society (APS) Integrative Physiology of Exercise conference revealed that people who exercise by walking at their own pace end up burning fat more efficiently.
Additionally, a separate study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that walking also helped improve fat loss and insulin serum in overweight and obese adults.
What other benefits does walking have?
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In addition to helping you lose weight, walking can also reduce your risk for chronic diseases. What’s more, it’s been found to improve your mental health. Per a study found in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, leisure walking can improve the mental health and health perceptions of older adults.
“Sometimes the simplest thing like getting out and walking for an hour a day is the kindest thing to your body, and your body will respond to that,” – Rebel Wilson.
Want to know more?
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References
Kleist, B., Wahrburg, U., Stehle, P., Schomaker, R. (2017). The Journal of nutrition, 147(10), 1875–1884. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.117.251744
Han, A., Kim, J., & Kim, J. (2021). A Study of Leisure Walking Intensity Levels on Mental Health and Health Perception of Older Adults. Gerontology & geriatric medicine, 7, 2333721421999316. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721421999316
