Walking Your Way To Wellness

Walking is the most popular form of exercise. It does not require special equipment nor require that you spend money. It is effective, especially when you want long term weight loss. Many people start their exercise programs with walking. Old and young alike can start walking off excess weight anytime. You can easily take up walking and earn its benefits without too much effort. Walking can be enjoyable, especially when you have a walking buddy. Having someone to converse with makes a 30 minute walk feel like 10 minutes. Walking is effective but walking with bad form and bad habits will create problems you’d rather live without. Here are some things to remember when choosing to walk for weight loss.

Start gradually. Doing some gentle stretches at the start of your exercise will loosen up tight limbs. Gentle stretches will warm up the muscles and prepare it better for the exercise. Initially, start with a 30 minute walk. You would not want to tire yourself too much you won’t be able to stand up the following day. When walking, always take the weather into consideration. Dress warmly during the winter months. You have to be comfortably warm so dress in layers along with a hat and mittens. In summer, wear clothes that do not trap body heat. Choose clothes made of breathable fabrics like cotton. Wear sunglasses and a hat. Whatever the weather, always protect your skin from the sun. Choose your shoes carefully. Make sure that it doesn’t make you skid and slide.

When walking, maintain good posture. Contract your abdominals and lean forward slightly from your ankles. Keep elbows flexed at ninety degrees and relax your arms. Swing your arms in time with your strides. Walking for maximum fat burning requires more effort. Your fat burning zone is at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate and you have to keep it up for 45 minutes. In this zone, the calories you burn from fat is 85% of your total calorie expenditure. Before starting this program, make sure that you have the go ahead from your doctor. Always bring a bottle of water with you. Water replenishes fluids lost through sweating. This is essential to prevent dehydration.

You can incorporate walking in your daily activities. Park a little farther away from your office. This will force you to walk the remaining distance. Force yourself to take a mini break every two hours if you can. Aside from increasing your mileage, this will also help your circulation. Take every opportunity to walk. This will go a long way towards helping you reach your fitness goals.

Walking is natural exercise. It is something you do every day of your life and requires no special skills. A 30 minute walk everyday absolutely guarantees weight loss in sedentary men and women without any change in the diet. Depending on your fitness level, walking can be an intense, moderate or light exercise. If you decide to make walking your primary form of exercise, there is not much that can hinder you from doing it.