Walking to lose weight
Losing weight is a matter of taking in fewer calories than you burn. Once a healthy diet is plotted it’s time to get down to exercise. This means 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 for 30 minutes a day seven days a week is a fantastic start. In fact, it’s much better than the five day, or even three day, plot 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.
But then more can be added. Additional exercise, outside that 30 minutes a day seven days a week, is simple. Park the car further from the store or office, then walk. Instead of gobbling a bagel while riding the elevator up to your floor, delight in a banana while walking up the stairs. When it’s time to remove leaves use the ancient fashioned hand rake rather than the leaf blower. Muscle power is activity and that burns calories. If you have kids get involved in their games of tag, or chase. They’ll like it and so will your health.
Intervals can be added once the walking has been established. Intervals are small bursts of increased activity sprinkled into a normal routine. Start out by running for 30 seconds every 10 minutes of the walk. Gradually increase 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 entire 30 minutes. Keep in mind that a run is not a jog, it’s quicker, it’s a sprint. So if you have to work up to run with jog at first. Start out running once or twice in a 30 minute walk, then up it to more often until you’re walking 4 minutes then running 1 minute It’s not really hard.
Walking to lose weight is healthy, no doubt. But it’s also a fantastic way to get around the neighborhood, meet neighbors, and see things you probably never see while driving around everywhere you go. If it gets dull you can question a spouse or family member to exercise with you. Make it a family affair, or get the whole neighborhood involved. Walk to the store. Get out and see the sights. And no, don’t stop walking just because of some rain. Wear a rain coat and some galoshes.
