Walking and Weight Loss

We all know that walking as a form of exercise is always good as part of a weight loss program. To lose weight and keep it off, you just need to get moving! Fast weight loss products can help get you on the right track and give you incentive if they’re healthy for you. However, walking to lose weight is a great way to shed pounds naturally without killing yourself in a workout, or taking something that may be temporary. Here’s some information and weight loss tips that work in walking for weight loss:

If you’re not use to exercise or going for walks, begin at your pace and 15 minutes a day, building up as you get more fit. Then you can begin walking at a moderate pace for up to 30-60 minutes, which burns more stored fat, and can build your muscle to speed up your metabolism. It also reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer and breast cancer. If you want to lose weight, get fit and healthy, walking is a great way to do this. Running for weight loss is obviously good for this, but it can also be harder on your body, so if you have pre-existing medical conditions or injuries that prevent you from running for weight loss, you would want to talk to your doctor first to develop a plan that works for you.

Walking to Lose Weight and Burn Calories and Fat

Your weight is mostly determined by the balance of calories you take in vs. how many you burn each day. To lose weight, you need to increase your activity to burn more calories and/or eat fewer calories every day. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories, so to lose one pound a week you’ll need to burn 3500 more calories that week than you eat, whether this is by increasing your activity, reducing what and how much you eat, or both. Losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is sensible, and you’ll want to combine increased activity like walking to lose weight, and eating less.

Your weight times the distance you walk equals the energy you use walking. Time is not as important as the distance, particularly if you’re a beginner. It’s best to increase the distance before working on your speed. A basic rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile for a 180 pound individual. Obviously when you speed up your walking you’ll burn more calories, but save this for when you’re in better condition.

The main thing with walking and weight loss is to literally “take that first step” and build on it “one step at a time”! Begin at 15 minutes a day, building the the time and distance as you can. Once you feel you can increase the speed some, go ahead. Walking to lose weight will burn more calories and fat, and it’s one of the easiest forms of exercise. Just get moving! These are weight loss tips that work, and I hope they help you.

Guest article by Julie Eley

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