Why Walking Is Such A Great Way To Lose Weight
Sheila Upton | November 11, 2010Dismissing walking as an exercise method would be very easy to do. It’s a low intensity, low impact, low injury risk exercise technique. You don’t need any special equipment or training. It’s something that you already know how to do – you probably do it every day, to some extent at least.
Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to let familiarity breed contempt in this case. There’s no need to start out on an exercise regime more suited to a professional athlete in order to achieve some major health benefits. The benefits provided by this simple exercise are numerous – including weight loss, a key goal for a lot of people.
Walking can reduce the probability of heart disease and stroke. It can help reduce cholesterol levels and also relieve hypertension. As it is a weight bearing exercise, it can increase bone density and help to build muscle. It can help to increase the operating efficiency of the heart and lungs. The probability of contracting certain types of cancer can be reduced as a result of walking regularly. It can even help to combat anxiety and depression. Recently conducted research in the UK suggests that walking as little as 8 miles on a weekly basis can help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. As mentioned above, it can help you to lose weight, get into better shape and feel much better overall.
That’s a lengthy list of potential benefits. It reads more like a publicity campaign for a health supplement or new wonder drug rather than a description of a mundane daily activity! You don’t need to “go for the burn” or adopt a “no pain, no gain” approach. You simply need to do a little more walking than you normally do, and continue to do it on a consistent and regular basis, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how rapidly you reap the rewards.
There are numerous opportunities for you to walk a little more. You can fit it into your day whenever it suits you best. One very common piece of advice is to leave your car in the garage and walk to work. If that isn’t a practical suggestion for you then take your car but park it in the corner of the lot which is furthest away from the entrance – so that you have a little further to walk. If you travel by bus or subway, then get off a couple of stops early and finish your journey on foot. Climb the stairs instead of using the elevator. Go for a short walk at lunchtime rather than sitting in front of your computer. Walk around whilst you talk on your mobile phone. There’s no shortage of ways to build walking into your day.
If you are slotting walking into your daily routine in short bursts, as described above, it can be difficult to keep track of your progress. You may find that a pedometer is a good idea. It will track and display your results in terms of the number of calories burned, the total number of steps taken or the distance covered. This can help to keep your motivation up.
An mp3 player is another good accessory for you to consider. You will find that the time and the miles just fly by when you’re listening to your favourite music.
Another recent development which you could use to your advantage is toning shoes. Brands like Skechers Shape Ups Shoes, Fit Flops sandals and Masai Barefoot Technology Shoes all make use of special soles which increase the level of work performed by your lower body muscle while walking. This can help to trim and tone your lower body – just by walking.
So, if you want to shed a little weight, then walking to lose weight is the ideal solution. It will also deliver a number of other health benefits (which can be even more important than weight loss).
When the wet weather arrives, stay cool and trendy in a colorful pair of Hunter boots – the wellies that are worn by royalty! The latest range of FitFlops winter boots will give you a free lower body workout, keep you warm – all whilst still looking great.


















