Walking is a great way to tone up and lose weight. It's great for beginners, requires no extra equipment, and is completely free. Whether you're looking to add more steps to your daily routine or inspired by TikTok's Hot Girl Walk trend or the 12-3-30 workout, you may be wondering what the benefits of more steps are and how walking more can strengthen your abs. For more information, please click here.

First, it is worth noting that there are so many benefits to walking more, besides losing weight and toning up. Studies have shown that spending more time walking outside lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

It can strengthen the heart - studies have shown that walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 19%. In addition, walking is thought to boost the circulation of immune cells in the body and boost the immune system; you can read more about the benefits of 30 minutes of walking a day to the body here.

However, if your goal is to build visible abs, you can also use walking as a way to tone up and lose weight. Below, we spoke with Natalie Hope, a fitness coach who leads workouts on the voice-activated fitness app WithU.

In a word, no. Hope explains, "Walking alone is not a direct or intense enough workout to specifically target and develop visible abdominal muscles." 'To develop visible abdominal muscles, you need a number of factors, including a low body fat percentage and well-developed core muscles.'

If creating visible abdominal muscles is your core, you need to focus on body fat percentage, which determines how visible your abs are. Diet, regular exercise, hormones, sleep, and stress all affect the amount of body fat you accumulate. Learn more about how to calculate body fat percentage and why body fat percentage is important.

Nevertheless, if you want to work your abdominal muscles while walking, Hope explains that you can modify your form a bit. She says, "Actively contract your abdominal muscles by pulling your navel in toward your spine. This will stabilize your torso and keep your abdominal muscles engaged throughout the walk. 'Swing your arms naturally while walking. This not only increases calorie burn, but also works your core muscles, including your obliques."

If walking for weight loss, Hope has a tip: "Walking burns calories, and weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you burn. Engaging in a consistent fitness routine that includes a combination of brisk walking, aerobic exercise, strength training, and healthy eating can increase calorie burn and contribute to weight loss."

Walking, Hope notes, is also a great way to strengthen and tone leg muscles. If you want to pick up the pace and take on a harder hike, invest in the right equipment. There are Skechers Go Walk shoes, which the fitness editor walked 100 miles in. If you want to track your steps and calories burned, a fitness tracker can help.

If you want to increase the number of calories you burn each day walking, Hope says, setting goals can help.

"As your fitness improves, aim for longer walks. "Start with a time that feels challenging but manageable, and gradually increase the length of your walks: try to walk at least 30 minutes per session, and longer if possible."

Increasing the pace to increase intensity is also worthwhile. Hope says, "Fast walking means walking fast enough to get your heart rate up and your sweat up." Try one of the best walking workouts and mix things up.