Walking To Lose Weight

It`s free, it`s convenient, you don’t need any special equipment (except a good pair of shoes), it`s environmentally friendly, so why don’t more people start walking to speed up their weight loss?  Or start walking at all in fact….rather than taking the car everywhere!  How many parents do you see trying to park their cars as close to the school gates as possible, so neither they nor their offspring will have to walk more than a dozen steps?  Legs are designed to move–and that includes walking!

 

As well as burning up calories, walking will boost your metabolism, strengthen your legs, improve your circulation, lower your blood pressure, lift your spirits and increase your self esteem–to name but a few.

 

You don’t even have to take long hikes to feel the benefits.  Even making a few minor adjustments to your lifestyle will make a difference.

 

  • Don’t always park your car as close as possible to your destination.
  • Walk to work or get off the bus or train a stop earlier.
  • Take a walk through the park or round the block at lunchtime.
  • Ditch the email and go deliver the message yourself.
  • Stop taking the elevator and use the stairs.(You’ll probably have them to yourself).
  • Plan weekly walks with the family or a friend and vary your route.
  • Cancel the paper and milk delivery and walk to the shop.
  • In the television break, rather than do nothing, walk up and down the stairs.
  • Walk the dog–borrow one if you don’t have your own.  He`ll love you for it.

 

So, these are all really simple ideas to incorporate into your daily life.  Of course, if you fancy joining a local walking group, even better.  It`s always more fun to have the company of like minded people.

 

To give you some idea of how many calories you could use:

 

Say you were walking at a moderate speed for 10 minutes on a flat surface, you would use around 43 calories– that`s 129 calories in half an hour!!  And don’t forget, your metabolism will remain elevated for several hours after you finish–bonus!

 

If you`re serious about walking to lose weight, why not invest in a pedometer.  They`re inexpensive and will measure the number of steps that you take in a day–the recommended number of steps for weight loss and increased health is 10,000.

 

It sounds like a lot, but that`s the number to aim for, not to try and achieve in the first week.  Once you get started, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to achieve.

 

Buy yourself a notebook and write down the number of steps you normally take in an average week.  Then try and increase that number by 20% at the end of the second week.  Carry on each week like this until you`re at your 10,000 steps.  Don’t do more steps than you feel comfortable with, as trying to do too much too soon may result in injury and will certainly not inspire you to continue. 

 

How much weight you lose is different in each person, but you will certainly notice your energy levels increase and you legs toning up as you walk your way to a slimmer body.