Walking for 40 to 45 minutes five days a week at a fast pace is good to lose weight. But if you want to lose weight at a faster rate it is better to adopt "interval walking ". It allows one to slim down faster without adding too much stress or strain to one's body.
So what is "interval walking"? It is nothing but one's regular walking routine interspersed with short bursts of much faster walking. These short bursts, or intervals, need to be timed in order to prevent exhaustion. It means that these intervals of speed walking must neither be too short not too long.
If you are already into a walking regime, you will just need to add a timer or stopwatch to begin interval walking. Start by walking at your regular pace for two and a half minute and then walk at a much faster pace for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, go back to your normal pace for 2 minutes 30 seconds. Repeat this five times or more depending on your routine. The fast period and resting period are only indicative and can be adjusted according to one's preference. For instance, one can have a 5-minute warm-up to start with and then have 1-minute intervals of fast walking and five minute periods of normal walking per set.
Once you are comfortable with the interval routine for several days and if you want to reduce weight faster you can increase your fast pace time by ten or more seconds at a time and correspondingly reduce your normal pace time per set. You can even add speed to your fast pace interval or make it tough by going up while doing fast pace walking and come down at your normal pace. But these are for advanced walkers who have been into walking for several months. Remember, overstressing can result in severe exhaustion and even cause injury
But in the end, any fitness or weight loss routine can work if consistency is maintained. Hence, you have to do it at least five days a week. It is also necessary for you to keep track of your health and consult your doctor if you feel over exhausted or excessively tired as a result of starting the routine or advancing to longer bursts of fast walking.