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If you want to walk to lose weight you must burn more calories than you eat or drink to lose
weight. Once the diet part is planned, get to walking. This means you walk 30 minutes a day seven
days a week of aerobic work. Walking is a tolerable, low impact way to accomplish this goal and
more importantly to stick with it for a long time. With a few tips in mind it can be even
better.
Walking burns almost as many calories as jogging but is much easier on your joints. A 150-pound
person walking for 30 minutes at a moderate, 2.5 mile per hour pace burns 107 calories. The same
person walking that speed for 45 minutes would burn 160 calories.
Walk to lose weight for 30 minutes a day every day of the week is a great weight loss start. In
fact, it's much better than the five day, or even three day, routine that many people recommend. 30
minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week just isn't enough. The body needs work every day. That means
seven days a week and if walking is the way to make that tolerable every day for the rest of your
life, then walk to lose weight.
Once the walking is established do some other activities to increase your physical output. This
can include simple things like raking leaves instead of blowing them, crazy things like playing tag
with your children, as well as other every day habits such as parking in the furthest space from
the store rather than the closest.
After getting accustomed to walking that 30 minutes every day, make some adjustments by
adding intervals. Intervals are short bursts of increased activity sprinkled into a normal routine.
Start out by running for 30 seconds every 10 minutes of the walk. Gradually up this to a one minute
run every five minutes, which would work like this. You walk for the first four minutes, then run
for the fifth, then walk the next four minutes, run the next minute, and so on for the duration of
30 minutes. Keep in mind that a run is not a jog, it's faster, like a sprint. After a short period
of walking, run, then walk again, then run.
You really can walk to lose weight. In fact, regular walking can increase overall fitness, good
health and weight control. It can help reduce your risk of heart disease; helps eliminate
depression and lower back pain; increase your muscular strength; improve coronary condition; reduce
risks of infection and hypertension; aids in maintaining a healthy weight; and curbs the decrease
in bone density. Likewise, walking also helps in maintaining flexibility and coordination hence,
reducing the risk of falls.
Don't just walk to lose weight, make walking a whole family activity. Walk the kids to school
instead of driving them. Walk to the store. Get out and see the sights. And no, don't quit on a
rainy day. Wear a rain coat and some galoshes.
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