Walking to Lose Weight

Walking is a guaranteed, very effective way of getting rid of extra fat from our bodies and helping us retain a healthy body. I remember once asking a friend why he never worked out but he remained as healthy and in shape as possible. He had a toned physique and do you know the answer he gave me? He said “I work out all the time. My work entails me to walk not less than five kilometers a day.” Now, walking five kilometers a day could be daunting task to most of us who want to lose weight, or even reduce their weight when starting out.

Well, you don’t have to walk all of 5 kilometers a day to shed off that weight. Walking can be fun; it should be even more fun if there is a motive behind it, weight loss. So, how many calories are burnt when you walk. For an adult, walking at a paced interval will burn off around 150 calories. This is so when you walk for 30 minutes. It may be different for children who require an hour to burn off the same number of calories. Walking this way for 5 days a week would be a great way to kick start your weight loss program. A pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. If you burnt 150 calories a day, and walked five days a week, then you would be able to bu
750 calories in a week.
No too shabby for walking 30 minutes daily for a week, especially when you walk for an hour. Walking can be even more effective than running. You are able to walk for a longer time than running and hence chances of throwing in the towel are minimal. I would recommend complimenting this with a healthy diet and some strength training plus cardio exercises to get even greater results. Incorporating walking as part of your workout will give you more strength and endurance and it will ensure you get long term results, as long as it is done consistently. Here are a few tips to get you going;

1. Warm up first: this allows your muscles to get ready for that busy time you are going to have walking. Muscle needs to be aware so that it is more comfortable with the routine. Start with an eased walking pace for the first 10 minutes. From here on then you can accelerate your speed.

2. Grab a pair of great shoes: get a pair of shoes that you would be comfortable walking in. I recommend a pair of new sports shoes. These are build for the purpose and don’t make your feet sore and tired. In fact, a good pair will make you want to go that ‘extra mile’.

3. Walk for an hour and skip a candy bar: in essence what I mean here is you can’t have great success if you are eating unhealthy foods such as junk. Just don’t expect great results if any. Plan your meals, replace your junk foods with healthy options, walk for an hour a day and you will get great results.

Walking is as effective as any other weight loss workout. Do it consistently and make it a habit. Remember to lose one pound a week, you need to bu
3,500 calories. Work around this number and decide on your action plan.