Losing a few pounds is a goal which is shared by a large number of people. Unfortunately it conjures up images of starving yourself on the latest fad diet or getting hot, sweaty and out of breath down at the gym. Pounding the pavement or doing laps of the track in the rain is another image. None of these options are especially appealing to the vast majority of people.
Weight loss - and a plethora of other health benefits - can be obtained simply by performing a form of exercise which most of us do every day without so much as a second thought. Walking is a low impact, low injury risk method of exercising which is a great solution for many people - at a variety of different levels of fitness and over a broad band of ages. It’s perfect for anyone who recovering from an injury or illness and it’s a good method of losing weight post childbirth.
The thing about walking is that it’s a natural activity. You don’t need any special equipment, training or expertise. Anybody can do it - whenever they feel like it and whenever it’s most convenient for them. You can fit it into your daily schedule whenever it suits you best. There’s no need to fit in a special trip to the gym - which will also save you money on membership fees as well as time.
The important thing to obtaining all the health benefits and shedding weight by walking is to take a consistent approach. Relatively low level exercise, performed on a regular and frequent basis, is very much better than intermittent periods of high intensity exercise - and it’s much less likely to result in sprains, strains and other injuries as well. Walking for just half an hour daily will soon produce results - as long as it’s done on a regular basis.
If you can gradually build up to 10,000 steps daily on a regular basis, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly you start to feel the benefit and actually see the results. For the average person, 10,000 steps equates to a distance of approximately 5 miles. That may sound like a long way - but it really is much easier to achieve than you may think.
Another great thing about walking is the fact that you don’t require any special kit. A good pair of comfortable shoes is all that’s necessary for you to get started. Whilst it’s not strictly necessary, you may consider getting hold of a pedometer to be a good idea. You can pick these up for less than $ 10 these days - even an Omron pedometer, which is the top brand on the market, can be found starting at just over $ 10 - although the higher end models do cost a little bit more. They will help you to track and monitor your progress and will display results in terms of the number of steps taken, the number of calories burned or the distance covered. It might help to keep you motivated and encourage you to make a walking workout part of your daily routine.
It’s also worth considering the latest developments in fitness footwear. Brands such as Skechers Shape Ups,Reebok Easy Tones and Fitflops are designed to increase the amount of work done by the lower body muscles during normal walking activity. This will help to boost the effectiveness of your walking to lose weight workout.
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