By Arthur A. Burley 
There is no single way to lose weight. You can use many science-backed strategies to help you achieve your goals. The most important thing is incorporating healthy habits such as drinking more and moving around into your daily life. Walking and HIIT are good options for exercise.
Walking is an excellent entry point for people looking to get into regular cardio exercise. According to research, it can increase your mood and help you lose weight. You can live longer. A study found that walking regularly is associated with a 20% decrease in all-cause mortality. They also found a 24% drop in the chance of dying from heart disease.
After you have established a consistent walking routine, it is time to increase your calorie burn and keep it exciting. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), walking, and incline-walking are suitable. Let’s find out how to choose between them.
BENEFITS OF HIT WALKING
High-intensity interval exercise, also known as HIIT, can seem intimidating. To be precise: The “high intensity” part. However, this workout is very beginner-friendly. It involves fast-paced, intense bursts of exercise with longer rest periods. Research shows it can increase athletic performance as well as cardiovascular health. It can also revitalize your metabolism for hours.
“This type of exercise has been proven to be effective for people to build muscles, burn calories in less time, increase metabolism rate and lose fat ,” states Cortney Log, an RRCA-certified run coach.
You can make your HIIT-style walk. Certified personal trainer Joey Thurman says it’s simple to “adjust work effort intervals in ways that suit you.” You might increase your speed by increasing it for 20-30, 30 or 60 seconds each. You can select your terrain for more or less resistance. This could be a flat, sandy, hilly, or even the pool.
INCLINE WALKING – BENEFITS
Inline walking is just what it sounds like going for the hills. Thurman says that this type of exercise targets the posterior chain (including hamstrings glutes and increases the heart rate to burn more calories).
To feel the calmness of nature, you can either climb hills outside or use a treadmill indoors. Thruman says to be careful when you are on a treadmill. Doing so will reduce the intensity of your effort and lead to poor mechanics. It also makes it difficult to see the screen.
It’s also important to remember that what goes up must also come down unless you’re using a treadmill. You will likely need to walk downhill if you are outside. ” Walking downhill puts more strain on your knee joints and thigh muscles, and if you don’t have strong legs, you might experience some knee pain,” said Chris Streeter, a Rochester-based physical therapist and coach. Streeter says you don’t have to avoid hill walking, but you should prepare. Streeter says that basic exercises such as squats for bodyweight and lunges to the side and forward will help improve strength and reduce knee pain.
Is one better than the other?
HIIT Walking is a popular weight-loss tool. It offers a quick calorie burn and a great way to lose weight. It can lead to a higher calorie burn, depending on how you do it. It’s possible to train too hard if you push yourself to the limit. Have at least one day of low-intensity exercise between two HIIT days.
Although it is a great way to burn fat, inclines can cause stress on your joints. If you aren’t concerned about your knees, it’s best to avoid inclines.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Streeter says that ultimately, it is up to individual preference. Including both types can help you beat boredom. You can also mix up your week to exercise different muscle groups. The best exercise for weight loss is the one that you do regularly.