Top 10 Ways to Walk for Weight Loss
Walking is one of the greatest ways to jump start a weight loss regimen, because it’s quite low impact and it’s a way that most people can get exercise without undue stress on their bodies. Casual walking requires less stamina than running or many other forms of exercise, so it’s a good introduction to keeping fit.
Here are 10 ways you can enhance your walking to turn a stroll into a handy weight loss tool.
10. Weigh Yourself
While it’s not specifically related to walking, weighing yourself is the best way to gauge your progress as you build up your walking regime. You should weigh yourself at the same time every day, or no less infrequently than every week. You should weigh yourself naked, or as close to it as you’re comfortable, because clothes, shoes, and accessories all add unneeded ounces and pounds. Furthermore, weigh yourself after a bowel movement so your weight is not complicated by waste matter. If you aren’t regular, it’s a good time to add fiber to your diet and get regular, so you can weigh yourself after a bowel movement at the same time daily.
9. Breathe Deeply
Oxygen helps fight toxins in your tissues, so the more you take in, the more you’re helping your body cope with the pollutants we accumulate daily. Oxygen also helps you feel refreshed and relaxed, so try some simple breathing exercises for deep and productive breaths while walking. Do a search for “pranayama” and you’ll find many yoga breathing exercises that you can adapt.
8. Swing Your Arms
Engage your upper body with arm involvement for a more thorough workout. You can simply swing your arms in a wide arc or bend them at the elbows and pump them up and down. You’ve probably seen some power walkers using their arms this way.
7. Vary Your Pace
Try five minutes of power walking followed by five or ten minutes of relaxed walking, and repeat. Varying your pace keeps your cardio going and doesn’t overwork or stress muscle groups when you’re first beginning your walking regime.
6. Wear Shaping Sneakers
If you’re OK for your foot shape, you can try shaping sneakers which are en vogue now. They work by engaging different muscles with a unique shaped sole, so they tone your legs and your butt while you walk. You can even wear them around the house from day to day to benefit!
5. Sweat It Out – Naturally
Wearing too many layers and overheating yourself can prevent your body from engaging in its natural cooling mechanisms. Contrary to popular belief this doesn’t result in more weight loss, it only results in dehydration. Sure, you might lose a few pounds in water weight by forcing yourself to sweat more with heavy clothes, but that’s misleading, as it’s easily gained back. Don’t force yourself into false weight loss and in the end you will find a more stable result from walking and sweating naturally.
4. Tackle Uneven Terrain
Challenge yourself with hills and curves. Changing inclines while you walk works different muscle groups. You’ll burn more calories with the greater exertion. Try selecting a route that includes flat spaces, hills, curves to negotiate, and uneven ground – but be careful not to hurt your ankles by walking on a surface that’s too uneven or bumpy.
3. Track Your Steps
Wear a pedometer to keep track of your distance walked. When you see how much ground you’ve covered you’ll experience a feeling of accomplishment. Distance and time calculated lets you determine the pace at which you walk, too, so you know whether to slow it down or speed it up to cover the most mileage in the shortest amount of time comfortably and safely.
2. Keep up With Your Heart Rate
Keep your heart rate elevated for a greater cardio workout by varying inclines, wearing weights, and power walking. Check your heart rate often to ensure your heart is beating faster than normal – but not too fast – by checking your pulse or wearing a portable heart rate monitor.
1. Weigh Yourself Down
Wear ankle and wrist weights if you don’t have any conditions that make weights unwise. Weights make you exert yourself more, even if it’s a subtle exertion from small weights. This exertion burns more calories, making your walking much more effective for weight loss.
