Walking Duration

A 45-minute walk sustains the peak fat-burning period better than a 20-minute walk. A 40-minute walk provides more than twice as much time in the dominant fat-burning phase as a 30-minute walk. The recommended daily duration is 30 to 45 minutes. The article treats 30 minutes as a minimum effective walking window because fat becomes dominant around the 22-minute mark. The walk should last at least 30 to 45 minutes to capture the productive fat-burning phase. A 30-minute walk begins with glycogen use and transitions toward greater fat oxidation later in the session. The first seven to ten minutes of walking are mostly a sugar-dominant warm-up rather than dominant fat burning. Walking beyond 60 minutes may be counterproductive for some people because cortisol can rise.