Walking for Weight Loss

Walking is one of the easiest exercises there is and it’s one of the most effective. In fact, walking is the best way for a sedentary individual to begin an exercise program says Shirley Archer, a fitness expert and health educator from California.

It helps you lose pounds and inches, of course, but it does a lot for your psychological health, too. For example, there’s Jim Wilson. He is a financial adviser from Arkansas, and he lost 50 pounds in just six months by walking. He states that as his weight fell off and as he continued walking, his self-esteem improved markedly. He also feels healthier and sleeps better.

Even if you simply want to walk to lose weight, you’ll also gain medical benefits that can’t be disputed if you walk. In fact, it’s cardiovascular exercise that can help you reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other injury. It lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure, improves your heart’s function, and can tone your muscles all over your body.

Walking for weight loss need not be a chore and it need not be drastic. Little things can actually make a difference. So start small. You can walk to work. If your office is too far out, park about 15 minutes from your building and go on foot the rest of the way. That makes for a total of 30 minutes in a day.

At work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you can’t manage three or four flights of stairs, take the elevator to one floor below where you have to be, and walk one flight of stairs. As you become better conditioned, take the stairs two at a time. This will help you burn calories off (yes, those for lunch, too), and you’ll burn more at the same time and keep your weight loss going. And don’t send an e-mail to a colleague in the same office building. At least a couple of times a day, pop over and tell him or her in person. Don’t pick up the phone unless you absolutely must; instead, walk over and say what you need to same person. This gives you a chance to get up and away from your desk for a little bit and gives you a little bit of exercise, and it also gives you a good mental health break that will give you an emotional boost.

As you continue, if things are getting boring, try something new. Remember, exercise should be fun. So if you find your walk becoming a bore, ask a friend to come with you and then have a good conversation with each other as you walk. Not only do you have a chance to talk to each other, but it helps you pace yourself because if you can talk while you walk, you know you’re not going too fast. This makes exercising more effective and keeps you going, too.

You can also listen to music. Plug your ear piece and enjoy your favorite music if you’re venturing out on your own. Walking to loose weight is an excellent time to be alone and just be with yourself and enjoy yourself.

Again, walking should always be fun. To change things up a little bit, plan a route that’s going to end somewhere you want to be. Go visit a friend, go shopping at your favorite grocery store, or visit your favorite park. Change your route out every day, and make the destination its own reward. If you don’t want to go to the park, you can pick up a few groceries as you need to, or you can see the next big movie that’s out at your local movie theater. Of course, you’re scheduling this walk with your weight loss goal in mind. When you reach your goal, you can give yourself an extra special treat for all you’ve accomplished.