Walking For Weight Loss...How To Get Started

Walking can be a great way to lose weight. Doctors and health care providers often recommend walking for weight loss because of the variances of intensity walking offers. For those who are just beginning a workout program, walking at a low intensity pace for a longer amount of time is encouraged. As a person builds up their level of fitness they can increase the intensity of the walk and the amount of time.

It is important to keep in mind that the level of intensity determines how many calories are burned. Long and slow walks burn far less calories than speed walking. Sometimes speed walking at a high intensity level can burn more calories than running.

Using at home fitness equipment, such as treadmills, can be a great way to walk. When starting out on a treadmill it is best to use the basic settings, with the lowest level of resistance.  Slowly progressing over time to higher settings and using the incline feature can be a great way to increase your ability to burn calories while walking from the comfort of your home.

Walking around town, to the park, or on walking trails is another great way to walk to lose weight. Breathing the fresh air, and seeing all the sights of the “real” world makes the time you are walking go by a lot quicker. You will walk faster and longer than you realize since you are distracted by all the activity around you.
 
Once walking at your fastest pace does not seem like a challenge anymore, you can increase your workout with a weighted vest or ankle weights. These weights will cause your body to have to work harder causing you to burn more calories at the same time you are building muscle mass. As with any change to your work out program, you should start out light and work your way up.

Keeping track of your activities is best way to know how much you have progressed. Pedometers, training watches, and activity logs are great ways to track your progress. Pedometers and training watches can be purchased at any local retail store. You can create your own training log on your computer, or simply write it down in a notebook.

For those who have been obese for long periods of time, muscle building activities are encouraged. Over time the human body develops in a manner to carry the excess weight. As you begin to lose weight, your bones may become more fragile. Also, some muscle groups are not formed as well since the body over compensated to counter the extra weight. It is a great idea for people that fall in this category to do weight bearing exercises along with walking to promote healthy weight loss.

In order for walking to become an efficient way of losing weight, enough calories have to be burned for each walk. Walking for one hour a day a minimum of 5 days a week is a good start. Other lifestyle changes, such as diet, should be looked at in order to burn sufficient calories. Remember to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume.

Dedicating that much time can seem to be an impossible challenge to some. If an hour at a time is too much to block off, then try to break down your walks into smaller intervals. For example, walk during your lunch break for 30 minutes then when you get home you can finish your walk. Another method would be to walk for 30 minutes at your best pace one day, then the next day do a weight bearing activity for 30 minutes the next day, such as free weights.

As you begin to workout, you will start to feel better about yourself. These happy feelings towards yourself will cause you to start making better eating decisions. These better decisions are done subconsciously, and you do not always even realize it!

After you walk, you may feel hungry or dehydrated. This is due to your body exerting energy and trying to replenish itself.  Try to keep healthy snacks such as fruit on hand to grab in a pinch. Fruit is a great refreshing snack that can help keep your blood sugar levels normal.

As with any exercise program, you should consult your physician before beginning a program. You physician can give you a plan to stick to, and help keep you motivated. Your physician is concerned with keeping you healthy as you lose weight, so listen to his advice.