Walking and Weight Loss

10:00 PM Weight Loss Trainer 0 Comments

If one is interested in shedding a few pounds, walking and weight loss go hand in hand. Walking is a great way to lose weight naturally, plus it also increases the body’s heart rate which will allow for the burning of more calories.

Walking at a Slow, Steady Pace

Beginners can start a new exercise program by walking regularly at a slow, steady pace. Walking for 30 minutes is better than no exercise at all. Calories don’t always have to be burned by running. Everybody needs to start somewhere. Walking and weight loss are also perfect for people who have injuries that may get further aggravated by more vigorous exercise.

Picking up the Pace

After about two to four weeks of walking regularly at a steady pace, it’s time to pick up the pace a bit. Increase the walking speed a little bit. The easiest way to do this is by using a treadmill. If the use of a treadmill isn’t readily available, just try walking quicker. One way to track walking speed without the use of gym equipment is by walking a certain distance at the slow and steady pace, then trying again at a quicker pace in order to beat the previous time it took to achieve the same distance.

Adding Intervals

Intervals are simply different speeds and intensities of exercise. Walking at a pace of 3.0 miles per hour for 60 seconds, followed by walking at a pace of 4.0 mph for 30 seconds is an example of walking intervals. More calories will be burned than if one were to keep a slow, steady pace for 60 seconds. Faster exercise helps increase the heart rate and an increased heart rate will result in more calories being burned. The more calories that are burned, the more weight can be lost.

Increasing Resistance

Increasing resistance will also aid in more calorie burning. Adding ankle weights is a way to increase intensity. More ways to add resistance include walking on uneven surfaces or walking up hills. Uneven surfaces include any kind of surface that isn’t flat, such as pavement. Grass, sand and gravel are great surfaces to walk or run on to increase resistance.
Gym equipment such as ellipticals and treadmills will have speed and resistance settings that can be changed with ease during walking workouts.

Walking and weight loss can go together. People don’t have to do fancy cardio dances or hours of running to lose weight. Walking burns calories too and that’s what people need to do in order to lose weight.