Walking is a preferred exercise for recovering athletes, kids, and the elderly and young moms with kids. Load the baby up in the stroller and get walking. It can be done anywhere from the mall to the sidewalk to the office. Walking requires no special equipment, just a good pair of shoes and some comfortable clothes.
Best of all, walking is something you do all day long ANYWAY, so it’s hardly something that you need to just ‘start’ doing. So how can you make your walk burn more? Here are a few tips:
· Walk Faster
· Go Uphill
· Mix It Up
· Throw Your Arms In
· Walk with a Friend
· Add Weight
· Get Good Sleep
· Eat a Balanced Diet
· Listen to Music
· Do it in Front of the T.V.
· Stay Committed
Walk Faster
Yes, when you walk faster you will burn more calories. Medical studies have shown that slower speeds are better for overweight people because at 2.5 mph, the overweight person can go longer, maximizing the effects and reduce their chances for injury. They will build stronger heart and lung capacity while increasing circulation. In this case, the tortoise beats the hare. Once 2.5 is a snap and easier than just strolling, you can step it up.
Go Uphill
Whether you are using a treadmill or walking outside, add variations to your path such as inclines or hills. Walking uphill increases the resistance and makes your muscles work harder. The harder your muscles work, the more calories burned, however don’t work so hard that you can’t even speak between panting breaths. Keep your pace and your incline on the conversational level, which means you, should be able to walk and talk at the same time.
Mix It Up
Add some interval training. If you’re just getting started on your exercise walking, you might want to wait a bit before adding intervals. However, after you’ve gotten yourself to where you walk regularly, then adding some weight training or cross training by using a bike or even a pair of roller blades, can increase your overall caloric burn.
Throw Your Arms In
Swing your arms with your steps, but rather than throwing them in wide arcs, keep your elbows at a ninety degree angle. Keep the swings sharp and chopping and don’t flap them like a chicken. The addition of arm movements will increase your speed as well as require your heart to pump faster for the oxygen demands that your arms will be making along with your feet and legs. You will probably breathe harder doing this, but you should still be able to make short statements.
Find a friend
Once walking regularly is a habit, it’s one you will find yourself loath to miss after a while, but most activities are more fun with friends. Putting the fun into your program keeps you interested and motivated. You have someone to talk to, complain to and to encourage you. Because a workout partner can help you stay committed, it will keep the calories burning. You will likely go further and further, increasing not only pace, but distance.
Add Weight
No, not pounds for your hips, but rather some hand held or ankle weights. While there is some controversy over using weights while walking, don’t employ fifteen or twenty pound weights. Rather you are looking to add a pound or two only. These small weights may not seem like much, but what they do is add resistance and adding resistance will increase the caloric burn. Adding weights is not something to do in the beginning of an exercise program, but something to add to it after you’ve gotten used to your pace.
Get Good Sleep
Sleep is a commodity in the hustle bustle world. While the average amount of sleep a person needs is about 7 hours a night, everyone is different. Some people need 9 and others only 5, you need to get as much sleep as your body requires. When we sleep, our bodies repair themselves and recharge. In scientific studies, people who slept a regular 7 to 8 hours a night were more successful in their fitness programs than those who cut back. The human body burns calories even while at rest. During a regular program of walking 3 to 5 times a week, the rest time burn of calories is also increased.
Eat A Balanced Diet
Eating is a fundamental part of any exercise program and while starving yourself may seem like a fast way to shed a couple of pounds, it also increases irritability, drains energy and denies your body the necessary nutrients to repair itself. If you’re cranky and tired, you aren’t going to want to walk and without the walking, you’re not going to be burning the calories. Eat three or four small meals over the course of the day. Your body feels full about twenty minutes after it is, so avoid stuffing yourself silly. Overeating is as bad as under eating.
Do It In Front of the T.V.
If you prefer the treadmill, make a commitment to walk while you watch. A lot of people enjoy a show either daily or nightly whether it’s the news, soap operas or prime time. So rather than putting your feet up on the sofa and watching, take 30 to 45 minutes and walk while you watch. You get your entertainment and your exercise rolled into one. Be careful about doing a lot of walking right before going to bed. Walking can energize you once you are used to it and you may find it hard to go to sleep immediately afterwards.
Music
Music is like soul food, it can inspire, depress, reflect and encourage. Adding music to your workouts, whether walking, running, biking or lifting weights will keep your spirits up. Employ bouncy songs that add spring to your step and keep you charged while you walk. Whether you walk alone or with someone, music can help in both instances.
Stay committed
Make walking a fundamental part of your life, not just something you do when you have time for it. Make the time. A regular exercise program is only effective if you do it 3 to 5 times a week. Usually an hour on each of those days can go a long way to increasing your metabolism, energy levels and overall health. As your feeling of wellness improves, so will your exercise regimen. Start slowly, work out regularly and if you have to take a break for a few days whether due to travel, illness, or other commitments, don’t stay off the horse. Six months to develop a habit and less than six days to lose it, so the commitment keeps the burn alive.