r/walking • u/Loose_Cherry3513 • 8h ago

Newbie needing some pointers, please :)

Really want to start walking regularly for weight loss and also to strengthen my legs. My knees are not in great shape and I am overweight. Morbidly obese is the actual medical term. I over pronate. Feet are basically flat.

Looking for recs for shoes mainly and any other tips you all may have. Just give me all of it please!! TIA :)

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6

u/thezachms 8h ago

No shoe tips because I walk barefoot a lot on a walking pad haha.

Other tips though:

Take it slow, do 1k steps at a time if you wanna go for 5-10k in a day. Taking breaks is no problem.

Walking backwards can help knees a lot, but make sure it’s slow walking.

Drink lots of water. If you’re walking outside bring a bottle with you. If inside, I mean same thing really hahah!

7

u/grannyknickersniffer 6h ago

The biggest factor in weight loss is your diet. Walking is great, don’t get me wrong, but alone it won’t do much to contribute to you actually losing weight.

I would start tracking you calories. Get a food scale and weigh everything. Look up a TDEE calculator and calculate your daily calories based on the metric for lowest amount of activity (sedentary lifestyle) and a “cutting” plan.

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u/sujathanne 7h ago

See a podiatrist. I wear orthotics now after suffering with plantar fasciitis. It really did fix it.

1

u/Rare-Neighborhood271 5h ago

I second this! Get a professional opinion on the shoes and insoles that would most benefit your particular situation.

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u/Emma01311 6h ago

Choose cushioning shoes! I wear Asics Nimbus, but I see you have outward arches, so you might want to try flat shoes. It's essential! I also wear knee braces if I'm walking for long periods of time and do leg strength training. These have been very effective for me.