Fat lose: Easy Exercise Tips: Lose Weight by Walking

Nov 1, 2010 Katherine Frantz

Lose Weight by Walking - Jzlomek, morgueFile user

Many people who want to lose weight do not have access to a gym or are not able to engage in rigorous weight loss activities like jogging or weight lifting. If you want to achieve healthy weight loss using alternative methods, you might try to walk to lose weight. Many people lose weight walking for 10 or 15 minutes a day three to five times a week. If you are serious about losing weight, consider trying to walk off weight with these easy workout plans.

Lose Weight by Walking

It is possible to lose weight by walking but it may take a little bit longer than traditional weight loss methods like jogging or going to the gym. You may not burn as many calories walking but there are many benefits to taking a walk as a way to lose weight. For example, walking can boost your heart rate, which increases blood flow and contributes to healthy blood pressure. Walking also improves your energy and helps you to burn unwanted body fat. If you want to walk off weight, however, you need to learn the right way to do it.

How Much Walking Should You Do?

Recent studies show that by taking 10,000 extra steps a day you can effectively lose weight walking. Ten thousand sounds like a pretty big number until you break it down. You can achieve a goal of 10,000 steps in between four and a half and five miles, which is a rough equivalent of about one hour of walking at a brisk pace. Right now you might be thinking you don't have an extra hour in your day to devote to walking to lose weight. If this is true for you, try breaking it down into several smaller bits. For example, you might dedicate 20 minutes of your lunch break to taking a quick walk around the park near your office. You could also take two 30-minute walks a day – one before work or during lunch and one after dinner. It is easy to find time to walk to lose weight if you do it in short sessions throughout your day.

How do I Walk to Lose Weight?

The reason that walking to lose weight is so effective is that the body burns fat at lower levels of exertion, especially when that exertion is achieved at a steady pace. By walking quickly but at a steady pace you can achieve weight loss and burn fat. There are two methods of walking to lose weight that are the most effective – walking for a full hour per day or taking three 20-minute walks per day. Read on to learn how to utilize these exercise plans properly.

Lose Weight Walking an Hour a Day

If you are able to work a full hour of walking into your day, then good for you. To use this exercise plan properly, however, you need to do more than just take an hour-long walk. First, you should spend two minutes warming up – take deep breaths, slowly raising and lowering your arms to maximize your oxygen intake. Next, set off to walk one mile in 15 minutes. As you are walking, concentrate on coming down on your heel first and rolling on to the ball of your foot. This will stretch your calf and hamstring muscles.

After your first mile, take a three-minute break to stretch, focusing on your calves, hamstrings, and quads. Then, walk another mile, this time in 12 minutes. You will have to move a little bit more quickly this time but try to achieve speed by bending your knees, not by lunging forward. After this second mile, you can take another three-minute stretch break. Concentrate on making your stretches deeper this time and work in some stretches for your arms, chest, and back while you're at it. Finally, end your workout with a 20-minute cool-down mile. Walk this last mile at a steady pace, allowing your heart rate and breathing to return to normal.

Walk to Lose Weight in 20-Minute Sessions

If you don't have a whole hour to spend walking, it can be just as effective to take three 20-minute walks a day. To do so effectively, you should spend a minute or two stretching and warming up, focusing on your calves, hamstrings, and quads. Then, aim to walk a mile in 15 minutes. This will require you to move at a quick, steady pace and you may not be able to hit the mile mark in 15 minutes your first time. It is okay if it takes you a few tries to settle in to the proper speed – once you get it you will know what it feels like for the next time. After your 15-minute mile, be sure to cool down and stretch out your muscles so they will not be so sore later.

Try to spread out your 20-minute walking sessions throughout your day. You can take your dog for a quick 20-minute walk in the morning before work and squeeze in another walk during your lunch break. Then, aim for a quick walk after work or after dinner to get your third walk of the day. Each time you walk to lose weight you should aim for a quick but steady pace and focus on the way your foot hits the ground – you should land on your heel, roll toward the ball of your foot, and push off with your toes.

By following these guidelines you can see for yourself how easy it is to lose weight by walking. Keep in mind that walking to lose weight may not be as quick a method as other exercise regimens but it is just as effective (or more so) in a less strenuous way. If you want to lose weight, be sure to do so in a way that is safe and healthy. Crash diets and weight loss supplements may achieve quick weight loss but proper exercise is the only way to achieve lasting weight loss. If this is your goal, perhaps you should try to walk off weight by taking one 60-minute walk or three 20-minute walks each and every day.

For more exercise tips try Creative Ways to Exercise.

References:

"Benefits of Walking to Lose Weight," WeightLossForAll.com

"Lose Weight By Walking," Julia A. Savacool, GoodHousekeeping.com