If you are one of the many people who would like to get in shape and lose a few pounds, then this is a goal which is readily obtainable. It really is very simple – if you wish to lose weight then you must take on fewer calories in the form of food and drink than you use up in the form of physical activity. Consistently burning off more calories than you take on will, over time, result in weight loss. There is no magic formula, pill or wonder drug that will modify that simple equation.
Simply put, if you wish to shed pounds then you need to reduce the amount that you eat and drink (dieting), increase the number of calories that you burn (exercising) – or both. There’s little doubt that doing both simultaneously is the optimum solution. When you take exercise on a regular basis your metabolic rate – the speed at which you use up calories – is increased. Exercising consistently will mean that you burn calories faster even when you are not exercising – when you’re typing on your computer, when you’re reading a book – even when you’re sleeping.
Of course, the very thought of exercising can be off-putting for many people – but there’s no reason to avoid exercise, it needn’t involve getting all hot, sweaty and out of breath. One of the very best exercises that you can do is walking, something which the large majority of us do every single day. You just need to walk a little more often and a little further and you will soon reap the rewards – and there are many health benefits available to those who walk on a regular basis.
According to many medical sources we should all be trying to walk for 10,000 steps each day. That’s roughly equal to a distance of between four and a half and five miles for most people. It does sound like a fair old distance – but it’s a lot easier to accomplish than you might think. Don’t forget – 10,000 steps is the total distance, including the normal walking that you do as you go about your daily business anyway. You already have a base to build upon.
Leave the car at home and walk to work – or get off the bus a couple of stops early and finish the last part of your journey on foot. If you do take the car then park it in a corner of the parking lot that’s well away from the entrance so that you have further to walk. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Take a fifteen minute walk at lunch time. It all adds up.
Other than a good pair of comfortable shoes, you require no specialized equipment to start a walking workout. However, you may find a pedometer to be a useful investment – especially if a lot of your walking is done in short bursts throughout the day. It will help you to record and monitor your progress. You will find it easier to keep motivated – and also to find new ways of increasing your step count.
If you have the time to fit longer walks into your daily routine then an mp3 player might be a good idea if you don’t own one already. When you’re walking along listening to your favorite music the miles and the time will simply fly by.
Discover how Fitflops exercise shoes can help to increase the effectiveness of your walking workout program and monitor your progress with an Omron pedometer – it’ll help to keep you motivated.
Tags: exercise, fitness, health, lose weight, shoes, Uncategorized, walking, weight loss, workout