Burn More Calories By Walking With Irregular Strides, Study Suggests

A 2.7 per cent increase in "step length variability" can increase metabolism

New research suggests that incorporating uneven strides into your walks can be a fitness game-changer. A University of Massachusetts Amherst study, as reported by the New York Post, found that non-uniform walking patterns significantly increased a person's metabolic rate, which is the body's calorie-burning engine.

"I think it would be fair to assume that more frequent and larger variations in stride length would increase your metabolic rate while walking," study author Adam Grimmitt told the outlet.

Focusing on movement patterns, researchers led by Grimmitt studied 18 healthy 24-year-olds (averaging 155 lbs) walking on treadmills for five minutes.

Researchers then asked the participants to adjust their stride length by 5% to 10% shorter or longer than usual, while monitoring their carbon dioxide levels, a marker of exercise intensity.

The team found that a 2.7 per cent increase in "step length variability" can increase metabolism by 1.7 per cent.

"Step length variability plays a modest, albeit significant role in the metabolic cost of walking," declared the researchers.

The research team is now exploring how these findings on uneven strides could translate to benefits for older adults, particularly in terms of conserving energy rather than maximizing calorie burn.

"Future studies should quantify foot placement accuracy and muscle activity across similar virtual projections," the researchers noted.