YOUR BODY ON A WALK

What happens to your body with each step

0:00–5:59

YOUR HEART RATE REVS from about 70 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), warming muscles. Stiffness subsides as joints release lubricating fluid. Your body burns an average of 20kJ per minute, compared with only four per minute at rest.

6:00–10:59

YOUR HEARTBEAT INCREASES to about 140bpm and you burn an average of 24kJ per minute. A rise in blood pressure is countered by the release of chemicals that expand blood vessels, bringing more blood to working muscles.

11:00–20:59

YOUR BLOOD VESSELS EXPAND to release heat and you start perspiring. Levels of hormones, such as epinephrine and glucagon, rise to release fuel to muscles.

21:00–45:59

YOUR BODY RELEASES TENSION, thanks to a dose of endorphins. Insulin, which helps store fat, drops as you burn more fat.

46:00–60:00

YOUR MUSCLES MAY FEEL FATIGUED as carb stores are reduced. Your heart rate and breathing slow, but kilojoule burn will remain elevated for up to an hour.