Are you walking for exercise in an attempt to lose weight? One simple change can increase your caloric expenditure by up to 20% . Periodically change your pace. A recent research study conducted by engineering researchers at The Ohio State University shows that varying your pace burns substantially more calories than maintaining a steady pace.
While many studies have examined walking at a steady pace, this is one of the first to look at varying speeds. The rationale behind these finding is likely related to efficiency. The body is always trying to become as efficient as possible with its movements to conserve energy. It has a much better chance of doing this if you move at a constant pace, but not if you change it.
The take home message is that if you want to increase your caloric expenditure when walking, do things that do not allow you to achieve a steady state, such as change your pace, walk up and down hills or around curves, carry a backpack, or stop and start multiple times. This is especially true if most of your walking is done on a treadmill instead of outdoors.