There are many different paths to weight loss, but one of the paths most travelled? Walking for weight loss. There are several benefits to walking. Brisk walking daily helps to maintain a healthy body weight. Additionally, when you suffer from chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, walking can help manage the illness better. It will strengthen your bones and muscles while improving your mood at the same time. These are just some of the many benefits of walking.
Preparing to Walk for Weight Loss
Many people choose to use walking as a form of exercise and a way to lose weight if they’re over their ideal body weight. This can be a particularly great approach if you’re very overweight, have issues with movement, or are perhaps elderly and more frail. To calculate your ideal body weight use the Ideal Weight Calculator at Calulator.net. You have to put in your age, sex, and height into the boxes. It will calculate the ideal body weight range that you should be in. This will give you an idea how many pounds you have to lose, and help determine how you should structure your walking workout regimen.
When walking to lose weight the goal should be to lose at a moderate pace. You’re not trying to drop ten pounds each week, you’re slowly working towards a steady and consistent long-term weight loss goal. The technique of how you walk is important. Keep your head and back straight and look forward not at the ground. You should swing your arms with a slight bend in the elbow. Relax your shoulders, neck and back. Walk on your feet from foot to heel.
Before walking, find the right shoes sneakers or athletic. They should have good arch support, padded soles to support your feet, and thick sole on the bottom. Wear comfortable clothing designed for different types of weather. When walking at night, wear bright clothing with reflective tape. Choose where you walk carefully, and try to avoid cracked sidewalks, potholes, fallen limbs, and areas not designed for walking. When the weather is bad, consider walking in a large mall or store for exercise.
Strive to walk about 30 minutes daily. When beginning, try an interval type of training. Start slowly, walking about 10 minutes at a slower pace. For the next 10 minutes, walk briskly like you were late to catch a bus or train. Toward the end of the walk slow down so your body can cool down. When arriving home, do a few exercises to stretch your muscles.
Make sure to keep track of how many miles you walk and how long it takes in a journal. Stay motivated by varying where you walk. Walk in the neighborhood or local park during the week and drive out of town on weekends to towns or state parks. Even a casual walk will burn 150+ calories per walk.
More Tips for Healthy Weight Loss by Walking
To burn more fat, increase the amount of time you walk and the times per week. Consume a healthy well balanced diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish and poultry. Strive to walk further, not faster, and build endurance at a steady pace. Keep a journal of the time of day you walk, how many miles, time needed to complete the walk, locations, and how much you lost.
To maintain a healthy weight know the route you are walking. You won’t have to devise a route last minute and will be prepared. You might want to have a variety of places to walk near your home or living space with different lengths and times to add variety to your routine.
Prepare for different weather conditions. Wear warm clothing when it’s cold. Walk when the sun is out in the winter and in the summer try early morning or later at night when it’s cooler. When it rains or snows try to find an indoor mall or store to walk in. Drink some water before walking or bring it with you this may prevent weight loss.
Walking isn’t the best weight loss approach for everyone, but it’s certainly an effective option for certain individuals. Make sure to check with your doctor before you take on a walking routine. Remember that walking with a healthy diet improves chronic conditions and helps you lose rate at a moderate rate to reach your ideal body weight.
Written by: Joan Russell