Does Walking with Dumbbells Burn More Calories?

Should you hold dumbbells in your hands while walking to increase your fat loss? Or is it better to save the weights for your strength training session? Let's take a look.

Recently, I saw someone out walking with light hand weights. The assumption is that you will burn more calories and get some upper body work in at the same time.

However, this won't cause you to burn significantly more calories. More likely, it will increase your risk of an overuse injury for your elbow or shoulder.

If you want to do more work while walking, walk faster. Or try walking up and down hills for increased resistance. Adding weights to either your hands or ankles is not advised. A light weight vest around your torso would work much better.

Bottom line, if fat loss is your goal, you need to spend time doing strength or resistance training to increase your lean muscle tissue.

This helps increase your metabolism, burning more calories. Two or three pound dumbbells won't get the job done - while walking or in your strength training.

Don't be afraid of using real weights, light dumbbells for "toning" isn't the way to go. I saw a special on aging a year ago and the 101 years young woman was doing strength training with dumbbells that looked about 6-8 pounds a piece.

If she isn't using the pink dumbbells, why should you?!

For ultimate fat loss, doing some interval training is the way to go. By alternating between periods of intense and lighter exercise, you burn more calories and keep your metabolism elevated for longer periods after you are done exercising. You also get more done in a shorter period of time.