7 Benefits Of Walking Towards Weight Loss

Did you know that when you walk you are exercising your heart? Walking is something that most of us do every day in order to get around, but we do have a tendency to take this menial activity for granted. We do not need to learn how to do it as we can already do it. Walking provides you with a vital form of cardio exercise, especially when you are speed walking or walking at a brisk pace. Any exercise which makes your heart beat faster than normal for half an hour at a time is a perfect cardio workout and not only keeps your heart healthy, but will also aid your weight loss.  If you walk on a regular basis, such as every day like parents do when they undergo the school run and at a brisk pace, not only will you lose weight, but you will feel amazing at the same time. Walking helps to clear your mind, weight loss, cardio vascular health and strengthens muscles. This is a perfect exercise to start off your training regime with if you want to lose weight but do not know quite how to go about it.

One of the major benefits to walking regular to aid your weight loss is that you can do it anywhere and at any time without any special equipment other than a sensible, comfortable pair of shoes, sensible clothing (and an MP3 player for entertainment, makes your walks more enjoyable, also you can work or study while you walk. If you are studying a study course then you can transfer it to your MP3 player and listen to the readable part of your study while you walk or listen to audio books and music). You will find that it might be best to layer loose items of clothing as walking will make you warm. If you are wearing loose clothing then it is easier for you to take them off as you walk. When you are looking at shoes, it depends on what kind of walking you are going to do, just general walking and speed walking then a pair of running trainers will do you just fine, but if you are planning on longer distance walking or hiking then it might be better to invest in a pair of walking shoes or boots which will offer your ankle joint a little extra support as you walk.When hiking or long distance walking then maybe you should tin about sunscreen and a hat, remembering that 11am -3pm is the hottest part of the day.

Image Source: caloriesburnedwalkinghq.com

The three most important pieces of equipment if you are going to need if you are long distance walking are a mobile phone for emergencies, and a whistle.If you are out of mobile phone signal range, then can blow your whistle to attract attention. Always blow it six times consecutively; this is a sign you are in trouble to anyone around who hears the whistle. You also need a bottle which is full of fresh, clean, refreshing water if you are walking for more than 15 minutes at a time. For hikers, a Kendal Mint cake would not go a miss as well.  You can buy the cake from any good walking shop or you can make your own. You will find the recipe on the internet. But in short you only need 1lb sugar, ¼ pt. milk and 2-3 teaspoons of peppermint essence. (Chocolate for covering is optional). This is also an activity which you can do with the children during the school holidays to keep them busy and prepare for a family walk in the hills together.

Why begin a walking exercise routine?

People are using walking a lot more these days to aid their weight loss routines. Walking for about 150 minutes per week can be split into so many ways to make it easier for you. 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week will give your heart the perfect work out. You can of course break the walks up to 15 minute walks twice a day for 5 days. You will find that walking is one of the ways that you can encourage your children to take their minimum one hour a day exercise. The popularity of this exercise is growing in leaps and bounds.  You will find that this is an exercise that you can do with the whole family and have fun at the same time. When you develop a walking routine tis will enable you to work on the following:

• Burning of calories is a major plus to walking a little bit every day.
• Losing weight comes from the walking and the burning of calories.
• You will find that you will reduce your cholesterol levels.
• Suffering from high blood pressure, you will find that your blood pressure will lower.
• Your fitness levels will increase with the more walking that you choose to do.
• Boosting bone strength is a plus especially as you start to get older in your years.

Positive benefits of walking to aid weight loss.

You will find that walking does not encourage a huge amount of calories to be burnt, but there are other benefits worth taking notice of, such as:

• You will burn a larger percentage of body fat compared to some other exercises.
• You will increase your levels of health and fitness.
• Your energy and stamina levels will increase enabling you to walk further.
• Decrease in health risks such as Osteo-arthritis, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity and many more.
• Easy to do and participate in on your own or with all the family and your friends.
• Fun with friends and business colleagues alike.
• No equipment other than sensible shoes and clothing (and maybe an MP3 Player).
• A great way to relieve stress and remain healthy comes from walking.

Below is a chart which may offer you some general guidelines to give you a rough idea of how weight loss calories are burned.

So what are you waiting for? Start your walking routine, lose your weight and most importantly, enjoy yourself.