Walking And Losing Weight
Who said you can't lose weight through walking alone, and without going to the gym? Don't listen to them! You can become 20 pounds lighter in the next few months without lifting a weight or be going on a hunger strike. Walking is a form of exercise that is safe and easy for everyone to execute, and you can use it to achieve your weight loss goals.
Why Should You Walk?
Walking is a simple form of workout exercise that is often underrated in terms of health benefits, although it does have numerous health benefits. Walking will give you a more robust heart and bones, it helps lower your stress and blood pressure, and help you lose more pounds than you'd imagine.The good thing about walking is that you can do it anywhere, with little effort, and it doesn't require any equipment.
You can skip your ride and walk to your work or schools and shops. In some cases, walking can be more effective than running to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Walking not only minimizes the risk of heart disease but also can help you lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Taking a 15-30 minute daily walk can be equal to 150 minutes of weekly exercise.
Walking Styles
• Race walking
• Nordic walking
• Power walking
• Freestyle walking
There are many styles of walking with each being geared towards physical conditions, age groups and temperament. Race walking is a sport of the Olympics.Race walking is brisk walking. With each step, one foot has contact with the ground while or bending the knee as it passes under the body or having their feet lose contact with the ground. Race walking is a sport of the Olympics.
Power walking is considered a moderate-impact activity and requires good shoes. Power walking should include a distance 4.5-mile distance brisk walk at 7.2 km per hour. This will burn the optimal number of calories.
Nordic walking is a form of walking that uses ski poles and is somewhat of a cross between walking, cross-country skiing, and running. It is a total body workout and burns up to forty percent more calories than regular walking does.
Freestyle walking is a walking that many kids engage in and is somewhat like skateboarding, rollerblading, and Snowboarding all in a pair of shoes. This is simply walking while flips off fences, slides down handrails and jumping off curbs.
Whether participating in one of the various styles of walking or just plain simple walking, it is a wonderful means of weight loss.
Proper Preparation for Walking
When you decide that walking is something that you would enjoy doing every day, you still want to treat it like any other exercise. By planning out everything before you do the exercise to ensure that you do the exercise efficiently and safely. The more knowledge you gain about the exercise, the better you will be able to do it.Choose The Right Shoes
Walking Shoes: When walking, our natural foot motion flows from the heel, through the ball of the foot and ends at the toe. During walking, we are generally well balanced and our feet are required to absorb much less shock than when running.It's for these main reasons that walking shoes are designed the way they are - to maximize proper motion during this mechanical action by the body. Walking shoes are constructed with flexibility in mind through the ball of the foot providing a better range of motion. Walking shoes also have support built into the arches, which absorb most of the shock during walking.
It's important to get a good understanding of your own personal feet and walking motion. If you can effectively evaluate your arch level/type, body mechanics for walking/jogging/running, and other various factors (we recommend researching as there are a variety of body mechanics factors that can affect how you walk/run), then you'll be able to make a much better decision about what type of shoe you need for your athletic pursuits.
keep Your Walks Enjoyable
Anybody can demonstrate the health and fitness benefits of walking, specifically concerning weight loss, cardiovascular improvement, and means to improve energy and relaxation. The hang-up is often that walking for exercise is hardly thrilling and is more often boring.To inject some excitement, listen to music can be an excellent addition to these low impact workouts. Music is one of the most common.
Walking helps you to lose weight, become healthier, feel more energetic, and relax. But don't let it become boring and routine. One way to keep your walks enjoyable is to listen to music using your smartphone.
Okay, so we know how walking is good for our bodies, and we know what to look for in a walking shoe, but how can we make sure that we start a walking routine and stick with it?
Make it FUN! Play some upbeat music—you can listen to around three or four songs in the time it takes to walk a mile—find a walking buddy, or bring your dog along for a stroll. Having a partner tends to make walks more enjoyable.
Use A Pedometer
Another way to keep walking fun is by tracking your steps using a pedometer. A pedometer gives you a good estimate of how active you currently are based on how many daily steps you’re taking.Clip one on your waistband and wear it from the time you get out of bed to the time you go back to bed.
You can figure out your average number of daily steps by totaling your step count for three days and dividing that number by three.
Pedometers range in price depending on how many additional features you’re looking for. Most pedometers are generally accurate at basic step counting.
If you’re tech-savvy, you can download free or low-cost pedometer applications (or apps) for your phone.
Using a pedometer is a great way to challenge yourself to take more steps every day. You may find yourself using these tips for adding extra steps that we talked about earlier to up your step count for the day.
Be Prepared For Weather Conditions
For many, the coming of winter marks a season where we reluctantly confine ourselves to our homes, offices, malls, cars, or any other enclosure that can generate enough heat to keep us comfortable. Too often the simple phrase, “It’s too cold out,” is the first uttered when the notion of winter exercise creeps into our thoughts.For most of us, the inability to tolerate the cold is due more to a lack of preparation, than it is to an inability to stay warm. A basic understanding of how the body generates retains and dissipates heat can assist us in preparing for winter’s worst, and help us to take advantage of walking and a host of unique outdoor activities.
As is the case with hot weather activities, walking in the extreme cold carries with it physiological consequences that must be understood and addressed in order to maximize performance and ensure a safe exercise experience.
Clothing Selection for Cold Weather Exercise: The primary function of clothing is to assist the body in maintaining the core temperature of 37˚C, regardless of environmental conditions. During hot weather, clothing serves to prevent radiant heat gain from objects in the surrounding environment, while during cold weather it serves to prevent heat loss through convection and conduction.
Clothing provides a barrier of air between the clothing and skin, as well as a physical barrier to the surrounding environment. Wearing multiple layers of thin clothing creates a larger air barrier above the skin, which is optimal for preventing heat loss.
Furthermore, wearing multiple thin layers, as opposed to one thick layer, gives one the option of removing individual layers to adjust the level of insulation during exercise.
Additionally, the layer of clothing closest to the skin should be made of a material that “wicks” moisture away from the skin to the next layer of clothing for subsequent evaporation.
Organic fibers such as silk and wool, and man-made fibers like polyester and polypropylene, do a fantastic job of wicking moisture away from the skin, drying quickly, and insulating well.
Absorbent materials such as cotton are a poor choice as the first layer, as they will lose their insulating properties if they become wet through sweating, and will actually increase conductive heat loss. Wool does an excellent job retaining its insulating properties even when wet and makes a good choice as an outer-layer garment as well.
Several manufacturers make undergarments of fabrics that are a silk and wool blend, which serve as an excellent first layer. Because of wool’s insulating properties, a wool hat is a very good choice during cold-weather exercise, as 30 – 40% of body heat is lost through the head.
A combination of a polypropylene sock liner and a wool sock is a good choice for stop-and-go activities such as hunting, where the feet may sweat considerably during walking, they become much cooler when sitting for extended periods. In this situation, cotton is a poor choice for socks, as they will lose their insulating properties when wet, and result in rapid heat loss from the feet by conduction.
Consideration should also be given to the weight of a garment relative to its insulating properties. For example, a fleece outer layer may have insulating properties similar to wool, but less weight, making it a more efficient garment overall.
It should be noted that the prevention of air exchange between the environment and the warm air barrier created by clothing is a primary determinant of the clothing’s insulating effectiveness. Because warm air rises, turtlenecks do a good job of preventing a chimney effect, and subsequent loss of body heat via convection.
A basic understanding of how the body regulates temperature, combined with the knowledge of how to make wise clothing choices, will ensure a safe and enjoyable cold-weather exercise experience.
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How You Should Walk For Optimal Results
If you are planning on losing significant weight by using walking as the only exercise then you have got to do it properly. I know what you are thinking right now - you are probably asking yourself if there are ways to walk properly, considering that you have been walking since you were 3 years old.
Well, when it comes to walking for weight loss, yes! There are ways to walk for optimal results. You'll burn much fat if you do the following while walking:
* Chin-up: Avoid looking at your feet while walking, look forward as this will help keep your neck in a comfortable position.
* Activate your abs: Try to brace your core and maintain good posture by pulling your belly button in the direction of your spine.
* Squeeze your glutes: For you to be able to go a long distance you should try tightening your glutes. This will help push you forward.
How To Begin a Walking Program
Starting an exercise program can be a daunting task. If you have not exercised in awhile you may not know just where you should start. Maybe you are overweight or just lack the motivation to exercise. Walking into the gym and looking at all the different machines is not any less confusing or comfortable for you. Walking is a great low impact activity that you can do just about anywhere. Walking provides many benefits.
Some people enjoy walking on a treadmill, others enjoy a stroll in the park, or by the beach. It does not really matter where you walk. What matters the most is that you do it. When first starting out it is important to remember to do what feels comfortable to you. Once you build up your stamina and your body starts adapting, then you can increase your intensity. Intensity can be increased by walking uphill, walking faster, walking farther, and adding resistance.
A simple way to remember how to improve your results is called the FITT Principle. The letters stand for Frequency, Intensity, Type, and Time. Frequency, meaning how often are you going to exercise. The more frequent you exercise the more results you are going to have. Intensity is the one variable of the FITT Principle that will bring you the greatest reward.
You can increase the intensity by walking faster, walking uphill, and adding resistance. If your heart is beating faster it means you have increased your intensity. Type is what kind of exercise you choose to do. Time or duration is how long you do the activity. The FITT Principle is a great way to make sure you are getting a quality workout.
A simple way to track your progress is a pedometer. Pedometers are inexpensive and you can get one in any sports equipment store, Target or Walmart. They track how many steps you take. A good step goal to try to attain is 10,000 steps a day which is about 5 miles. This is a goal that you work up to. You can start at 2000 and add to your step count each week.
Before you know it you will be walking 10,000 steps with ease. The best way to get started doing a walking program is to make it fun. Listening to music is a great way to enjoy your walk.
Walking in a group is also a way to socialize and get exercise. Take your family with you, or walk the dog. Try walking on all kinds of different terrain. Going on hikes is great because the terrain is constantly changing. If you have a beach nearby, walking on the sand by the ocean is very relaxing.
The key here is not to make it a chore, but be something enjoyable that you want to do. Walking is a great aerobic activity. There are many health benefits that come from walking.
A great way to track your progress is with a pedometer. Make sure you make it fun. While walking is a great activity it is only one part of what an effective exercise program entails. Walking is an aerobic activity, but you still need resistance training and flexibility. Make sure to incorporate those aspects along with your walking program.
Calories Burned Per Mile By Walking
One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To calculate how you burn calories take your weight and times the distance. This equals the energy used by walking. Time is not as significant as distance. You will burn more calories if you increase walking a mile in 13 minutes or less, but it is suggested to increase the distance before speed. For a 180 pound person, typical calories burned is 100 calories.
The Calorie Chart:
Calories burned per mile by walking
Benefits Of Walking
Aside from the benefit of burning calories, there are many health benefits associated with walking including:
* Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
* Lowers blood pressure
* Reduces high cholesterol
* Reduces body fat
* Reduces the risk of colon cancer
* Increases bone density and helps to counter osteoporosis
* Helps with osteoarthritis
* Reduces the risk of non-insulin diabetes
* Increases mental well being
* Helps with overall flexibility
Dieting is important in losing weight with the proper amount of exercise. Dieting alone rarely works. It is important to introduce exercise into your lifestyle. Walking is ideal for those wanting to lose weight. Walking also plays a significant role in the body's metabolism as fat is burned instead of sugars, which help you to lose weight.
According to the United States Department of Health regular participation in physical activity is associated with reduced mortality rates. Yet another benefit of walking.
Now that you’re ready to start walking for exercise, you’ll be glad to know
that you may start reaping the benefits in less than a month.
Have you ever noticed how your mood can improve instantly during a walk?
You know you are doing something good for your life. Walking makes you feel that good.
After seven days of walking, real changes are happening! You are burning fat and your muscles feel more toned. Do you notice that you make healthier choices at mealtime as well? That’s the power of walking – one healthy change leads to another.
After 14 days, you could have lost real body fat! Measure your hips, waist, arms, and thighs before you start your walking program and again after 14 days. Don’t be surprised if you’re already losing inches as a more proportioned body is emerging!
After 21 days, you could be down a size in clothing and notice that your muscles are more defined! Over time, your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels can improve…just to name a few other health benefits!
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see these kinds of results right away…remember – everybody is different. Just keep it up!
Walking doesn’t just help you lose pounds―it’s a great way to help keep them off, too. In an ongoing study of people who have lost weight and been able to keep it off, walking is the most popular form of exercise reported by participants.
That’s from the National Weight Control Registry, the largest study of long-term weight maintenance. It’s tracked thousands of people over the past 20 years, including many TOPS members.
Isn’t it nice to know that you don’t have to spend hours at a gym to keep off the pounds? Just aim to move a little more each day and keep walking!
And, by the way, our little marching in place exercise today helped us all get in more than 100 extra steps.
With walking, you should feel wonderful knowing you are taking care of yourself in the most natural of ways.
Taking the time to walk or do other exercises strengthens the body and empowers the soul. Fitness walking is one of the best ways to drop those extra pounds, but it goes much deeper than weight loss.
According to the United States Department of Health regular participation in physical activity is associated with reduced mortality rates. Yet another benefit of walking.
Now that you’re ready to start walking for exercise, you’ll be glad to know
that you may start reaping the benefits in less than a month.
Have you ever noticed how your mood can improve instantly during a walk?
You know you are doing something good for your life. Walking makes you feel that good.
After seven days of walking, real changes are happening! You are burning fat and your muscles feel more toned. Do you notice that you make healthier choices at mealtime as well? That’s the power of walking – one healthy change leads to another.
After 14 days, you could have lost real body fat! Measure your hips, waist, arms, and thighs before you start your walking program and again after 14 days. Don’t be surprised if you’re already losing inches as a more proportioned body is emerging!
After 21 days, you could be down a size in clothing and notice that your muscles are more defined! Over time, your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels can improve…just to name a few other health benefits!
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see these kinds of results right away…remember – everybody is different. Just keep it up!
Walking doesn’t just help you lose pounds―it’s a great way to help keep them off, too. In an ongoing study of people who have lost weight and been able to keep it off, walking is the most popular form of exercise reported by participants.
That’s from the National Weight Control Registry, the largest study of long-term weight maintenance. It’s tracked thousands of people over the past 20 years, including many TOPS members.
Isn’t it nice to know that you don’t have to spend hours at a gym to keep off the pounds? Just aim to move a little more each day and keep walking!
And, by the way, our little marching in place exercise today helped us all get in more than 100 extra steps.
With walking, you should feel wonderful knowing you are taking care of yourself in the most natural of ways.
Taking the time to walk or do other exercises strengthens the body and empowers the soul. Fitness walking is one of the best ways to drop those extra pounds, but it goes much deeper than weight loss.
* Research shows that taking a regular walk can actually modify your nervous system that you will experience a decrease in anger and aggression.
It exposes you to the sunlight which can help decrease the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
* It can also make you socially active as you can take a walk with particular anybody like your friend, relatives, family member and neighbor. This helps boost your mood and reduce your stress levels.
* It can also be beneficial for the people who are suffering from insomnia.
* Taking a morning walk outdoors will help you tune with your natural circadian rhythms which can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
* The moderate low-impact of walking can help reduce the symptom and lessen the pain for the person with medical conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
* It can also help in strengthening your bones and can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
* For the people who suffer from joint issues walking can be beneficial.
* As we start to age walking many be important to reduce the risk of dementia and other brain disorders.
* It might be wired but walking backward can help you to improve your cognition which helps one to think faster while on their feet.
* Walking regularly can also help boost the part of the brain that is involved in verbal and learning memory.
* Regular walks help establish a routine in which you are more likely to continue with your other activities.
* Adding music to your walking experience can be a great way to de-stress besides helping you to get into a rhythm to walk faster.
It exposes you to the sunlight which can help decrease the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
* It can also make you socially active as you can take a walk with particular anybody like your friend, relatives, family member and neighbor. This helps boost your mood and reduce your stress levels.
* It can also be beneficial for the people who are suffering from insomnia.
* Taking a morning walk outdoors will help you tune with your natural circadian rhythms which can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
* The moderate low-impact of walking can help reduce the symptom and lessen the pain for the person with medical conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
* It can also help in strengthening your bones and can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
* For the people who suffer from joint issues walking can be beneficial.
* As we start to age walking many be important to reduce the risk of dementia and other brain disorders.
* It might be wired but walking backward can help you to improve your cognition which helps one to think faster while on their feet.
* Walking regularly can also help boost the part of the brain that is involved in verbal and learning memory.
* Regular walks help establish a routine in which you are more likely to continue with your other activities.
* Adding music to your walking experience can be a great way to de-stress besides helping you to get into a rhythm to walk faster.