Turn Your Walk into a Daily Fitness Routine and Lose Weight
Many individuals not only want to lose weight, but they want to learn how to permanently keep it off and maintain a healthy weight. However, most people know how hard it is to actually lose weight, not to mention keeping it off.
If you’re someone who doesn’t have a whole lot of time to perform a full exercise routine every day, but still desires to get in shape, then consider walking as a viable solution to your problem. Walking tones the entire body and also boosts your mental activity and improves your mood as well.
Most people who want to lose weight generally go on a diet. However, diets are not the solution for long-term weight loss. Why? Diets restrict a wide range of foods and usually result in a rebound effect that people simply can’t follow long-term.
On the other hand, changing your lifestyle will give you permanent results. This includes eating more nutritious foods and exercising on a regular basis. Rather than ‘restricting’ certain foods, think of food in terms of being ‘unlimited’ as long as what you’re eating is nutritious and will benefit your overall health.
For most people, change is difficult, especially in the beginning, which is why walking is the perfect solution. Everybody loves to walk.
How Many Calories Does Walking Actually Burn?
Generally speaking, the average 170 lb. male will burn as many as 500 calories during a 10,000 step walking workout. This number will greatly increase if the individual picks up the pace or climbs up and down hills on a trail.
By walking 10,000 steps per day, you can burn approximately 3,500 additional calories per week. Over time, this will really add up while it tones your body.
Overall, you can potentially lose about a pound per week by sticking to a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. In terms of distance, how far is walking 10,000 steps? 10,000 steps is approximately five miles.
Losing one pound per week may not seem like much, but it’s a realistic, steady goal and better for your system to lose it slow rather than fast. More importantly, this isn’t some crazy fitness program or fad diet. Walking is a doable and achievable way to lose weight and keep it off forever.
Running the Numbers to Reach Your Goal
In order to successfully lose weight walking, you’ll need to develop a ‘step goal’ that’s based on how much weight you want to lose overall:
• Your current weight – your target weight = how many pounds you want to lose
• Number of pounds you want to lose = the number of weeks required
For instance:
• 200 lbs. – 170 lbs. = 30 lbs. to lose
• 30 lbs. = 30 weeks
30 weeks may seem like an incredibly long time to lose 30 lbs., but it’s a realistic goal that that will greatly improve your overall health. Remember, losing weight too fast can wreak havoc on the human body and cause a myriad of potential health issues, including thyroid problems, osteoporosis, and even kidney failure.
Many people would never even consider walking as a permanent solution to weight loss simply because it’s not ‘intense’ enough. However, people walk every day without even consciously thinking about it, so why not just ramp up the effort and turn it into an exercise regimen?
A Little Walking Can Go a Long Way
Even if you don’t plan to walk 10,000 steps every single day, walking just a couple of blocks can turn into a healthy routine. Make it special by walking with your significant other or your dog. Not only is walking a great way to unwind and think about the events of the day, your body gets the benefit of shedding extra pounds.
The best thing about weight loss and walking is that it feels completely natural and doesn’t make your body sore or worn out like working out in a traditional gym or fitness center.
Overall, walking not only helps you lose weight, but also gives you essential vitamin D from the rays of the sun while you walk. It gets your blood flowing in order to increase your energy levels and also helps you sleep well at night. Today more than ever, it’s hard to find a fitness routine than can accommodate both your preferences and busy schedule.
However, walking is something that virtually everyone can do every day. Visit MayoClinic and Medscape to learn how scientific research supports the theory of weight loss by walking.
Ways to Stay Motivated
- Get a partner to walk with: Walking with another person offers accountability, although you can always take your dog as well.
- Use a pedometer: A pedometer will help you track your progress and encourage you to keep going.
- Sign up for a charity walk or race: A special event will give you a specific goal to shoot for, which will naturally increase your overall motivation to keep walking to get fit.
Walking Off Post-Pregnancy Pounds
What’s the real secret to losing those extra baby pounds after giving birth? Get your body moving. Keep in mind that the amount of calories you burn has to be more than those you consume for the equation of losing weight to work.
One of the easiest ways to burn extra calories after having a baby is to simply walk. The best part is you can take baby along while you do it, rather than getting a babysitter and going to a gym. ‘Stroller walking’ is all the rage and benefits both mommy and baby.
The fresh air and ample sunshine is healthy for the both of you while your baby’s growing brain is naturally stimulated by all the various sites and sounds along your walk. Walking with your baby every day will also enhance the mother-baby bond in a strong and healthy manner.
In terms of exercise, walking is basically as simple as it gets. The only thing you need is a bit of time and a good pair of supportive walking shoes. By making it a point to reach your daily walking goal, you’ll achieve a much healthier lifestyle overall.