Can Something As Simple As Walking More Help You To Lose Weight?
Walking is an excellent form of exercise which the majority of people can do. No special equipment is needed - all you require is a pair of comfortable shoes and you’re all set. The potential health benefits of walking read like an advert for some new miracle drug - but they are very real and can be obtainaned with no more than a few small changes to your daily routine.
Most health professionals suggest that a target of 10,000 steps a day is desirable in order to obtain the numerous health benefits available. For the majority of people that equates to a distance of between four and a half and five miles. It sounds like a long way - but it’s easier to achieve than you might think. Bearing in mind the potential health benefits on offer, a little extra effort to fit walking into your day is well worth your while.
Of course, we live in a society which is increasingly sedentary - so it may very well be that you currently miss the recommended 10,000 daily steps (possibly by quite some way). If you’re not sure how many steps you currently take then it could be a good idea to get hold of an Omron pedometer in order to find out what your daily average is. You can find these at fairly low prices these days - but be sure to pick one which uses a double axis sensor as these are more accurate.
Once you know the average number of steps you take on a daily basis, you should seek out ways to make up any shortfall between your daily average and the 10,000 step target value. There are numerous ways to do this - but be sensible in the beginning and take it easy - there’s absolutely no need to do everything at once.
If your daily schedule allows you to slot in a reasonably long walk - say thirty to forty five minutes worth - then that’s great. If that’s not a practical proposition for you then don’t worry - there are plenty of opportunities to raise your step count. Leave the car in the garage and walk to the shops, school or work. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Get off the bus a couple of stops before your final destination and walk the rest of the way.
Make modern technology work for you by walking around whenever you talk on your mobile phone. You can fit in an extra 1,000 or 1,500 paces during a fifteen minute phone call. There are any number of opportunities to build walking into your daily schedule - and they soon add up.
One more way to make use of modern technology would be to use the new style of exercise footwear which is specially designed to increase the amount of work the muscles in your lower body muscles perform whilst walking normally. Skechers Shape Ups, Reeboks EasyTones and Fit Flops sandals are all examples of this style of fitnessshoe.
If you haven’t exercised for a while, if you are over forty years of age, or if you have any pre-existing medical conditions then you should talk to your doctor before starting any new fitness regime. However, walking is a low injury risk, low impact form of exercise which will, as long as you are sensible and build up slowly, provide you with many positive health benefits. You will be feeling better, enjoying increased energy levels and losing weight before you know it - and you won’t need a pedometer or a set of scales to tell you how well you’re doing. You will be able to both see and feel the results.
