Does Walking to Lose Weight Really Work?
Can walking to lose weight really work? If you want to lose weight quickly, the thought of walking to get rid of that extra weight might seem improbable. After all, walking is just walking, right? Isn't weight loss supposed to be difficult?
The truth is, the effectiveness of walking to lose weight is relative to where you are in terms of your overall health and fitness levels. When your lifestyle is sedentary, consisting of sitting behind your desk at the office and slouching on the couch in front of the TV at home, any form of exercise will cause an improvement in your health and fitness!
No matter how you twist and turn, weight loss is mainly about burning more calories than you take in. And if walking helps to increase your metabolism, then you will very likely lose some weight! However, there are various ways to walk that will help you lose weight faster.
Why start your weight loss program by walking? Our bodies respond well to activity but need to adjust to working with unused muscles so avoiding pain or strain; and then to increase that same activity to lose weight! So when you are first starting off on a weight loss program, walking is a very good way to start burning fat and create the momentum for more physical activities later on in your life.
Start by walking for 15 minutes, or whatever time you are comfortable with. Slowly build it up to a full one hour walk without increasing your speed. Start by walking a couple of times around the block, then increase the distance of your walks after you feel an increase in stamina. Walking to lose weight is healthy, no doubt. But it's also a terrific way to get around the neighborhood, meet neighbors, and see things you probably miss while driving around everywhere you go.
Walking to lose weight is one of the best exercises to control weight and burn excess calories. Walking at a constant speed enhances your energy by maintaining a certain level of aerobic activity in your body. Walking to lose weight is the simplest but most effective cardiovascular exercise there is. Walking for a whole mile at a steady medium pace burns up as much calories as jogging for 15 minutes - minus the strain on the knees and ankles too.
Increase the intensity and accelerate your weight loss by doing this. 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. Make sure when you jog you get your heart rate up and you are exerting your self.
You can also use the treadmill at your local gym, or better yet, if you have one at home. Remember to start your program slowly especially if you are just getting onto a weight loss program for the first time. Eventually, however, you'll need to increase the intensity of your treadmill walking workouts for maximum weight loss results.
Muscles, especially on the legs will be toned. Muscle weighs far more than fat, so though you might be healthier and in better shape, you might actually gain weight over the first few months! Ditch the scales in favor of a measuring tape if you want to chart your progress. Muscle stretching before your treadmill workouts is very important. Stretching exercises will help you become more flexible and will help prevent injuries as you start to increase the intensity of your workouts.
Walking to lose weight is a daily exercise designed to do what comes naturally. Walking to Lose Weight is also about fitness and when the excess weight is gone it is still going to be an important part of your life.
When you combine walking to lose weight with a healthy and nutritious diet, you are not only going to lose weight, but keep it off in the long run. A healthy lifestyle will do you more good than short bursts of activity.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
