Lose Weight through Walking
With all the complicated machines emerging to aid weight loss, we seem to be missing out on one of the most effective, most basic and definitely one of the cheapest forms of exercise – walking. Benefits of walking everyday include strengthened bones, reduced blood cholesterol and lessened calories in the body. Not only that, there are no special equipments required and it can be a form of social activity which just makes doing it so much more fun than actually going to the gym.
Accessories
When you decide to start walking for weight loss, be sure to make the necessary steps to protect yourself from possible injury. For example, look for the most comfortable pair of shoes you can find, a water container, comfortable clothes and perhaps an iPod. You can also buy a heart rate monitor if you want to be accurate about the amount of calories you’ve burned off.
Warm Ups
Warm ups is very important before starting you walking exercise. Try stretching for a few minutes or even walking in place just to get the blood pumping. After walking, you should stretch your muscles again to help them relax.
Where to Walk
Walking has the novelty of being useful and enjoyable at the same time. You can walk everywhere, preferably around parks or just your subdivision. However, if you are targeting to burn a specific level of calories, then the result will depend on your speed and current weight. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, calories burned walking will be 80 calories at 2.0 mph, 74 at 3.0 and 102 at 5.0 mph.
Additional Walking Tips
Make your walk as natural as possible with swinging arms and breathing deeply. A good posture is vital with the shoulders relaxed and the head comfortably lifted. You can still cover the same distance while changing routes for variance. Challenge yourself by walking up and down hills, but don’t do so if you’re having hard time breathing. You might also want to make your exercise more intense or increase the distance once you’ve gotten used to the routine. For added convenience you can take an iPod with you and listen to music or even better, have a friend walk with you for added motivation. Walk for charities is also an excellent way to practice you new found hobby as well as contributing to a worthy cause.
If you want, you can also add jogging to you list of exercises. However, studies show that there is no significant difference in calories burned between walking and running/jogging. What really counts here is the distance of your travel. So basically, if you continually up the length of your exercise, you should be burning more calories than a runner who runs within a prescribed distance. And another thing, make sure to get yourself a proper diet since exercise alone will not help you with your campaign. Make sure that you are maintaining a proper diet as well as a routine exercise such as walking for weight loss.
Bob Brendon
Lose Weight Plan
Best Way to Lose Weight
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