Achieve Weight Loss Results More Quickly
If you want to lose weight then you need to consider your calorie balance. Simply put, if you consume fewer calories by eating and drinking than you expend by physical activity, you will tend to lose weight. Physical activity includes just about anything you do. You are burning calories all the time throughout the day. Sitting watching the TV, typing on your computer, reading a book – all of these activities use up calories.
Your metabolic rate is the speed at which you burn off calories. Of course, not everybody has the same metabolic rate. We all know people who seem able to eat as much as they like without putting on weight. In all probability they have a high metabolic rate.
And that’s why you should incorporate some amount of regular exercise in your weight loss efforts. Obviously when you are exercising you will use up calories, which is good of course. However, what you need to realise is that, as long as you exercise on a regular and consistent basis, it will actually cause your metabolic rate to increase. You will use up calories faster than before – even when you’re not exercising – and that could mean that you see improved results, and a lot quicker, than if dieting is all you do to lose weight.
The important thing is consistency. You don’t need to go to the gym and get all hot and sweaty, a low level workout will give you results – if it is performed consistently. Walking is one of the best and most popular ways to take regular exercise. It’s easy to do, it doesn’t carry any high monthly membership fees, you can fit it into your day whenever you like and you don’t need any special training or equipment. The health benefits of walking are numerous and, due to the fact that it’s a low impact way to take exercise, the risk of injury is low.
If you want, you can increase the efficiency of your walking workout using the latest design of fitness footwear. You can now buy specially designed shoes like Skechers Shape Ups, Reebok Easy Tones, MBT’s and Fit flops sandals – all of which use specially designed soles to raise the amount of work performed by your lower body muscles and to help trim your butt and tone your legs. However, if you don’t want to experiment with these, then do at least be certain that you get yourself a comfortable pair of shoes. If your shoes give you blisters or cause you any discomfort then it will be difficult to keep your walking program on track.
Many people ask exactly how many calories walking will burn off. One of the main influencing factors is your weight. A heavier person will burn more calories per mile than a lighter person – just because they are carrying more weight over the same distance. An approximate rule of thumb is that a 180 pound person will use up about 100 calories per mile walked. A 130 pound person will use about 84 calories when walking the same distance. If you want to know more precisely how many calories you are using up then an Omron pedometer is accurate to a tolerance of 5% and can store and display your results in terms of calories burned, distance covered or the total number of steps taken.
The recommended target in order to achieve the many health benefits of walking – including weight loss – is 10,000 steps a day. However, you don’t need to instantly start doing the target value of steps tomorrow. Take your time and build up to the target value at a pace which is good for you. If you are over 40 years of age, if you have any medical conditions, or if you just haven’t exercised for a while, then you should seek the opinion of your doctor prior to taking up any new exercise program. Don’t forget, the key thing is consistency and taking your exercise on a regular basis. Short bursts of high intensity physical activity are nowhere near as beneficial as repeated low level exercise. That’s why walking is such a great exercise choice.
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