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Walking For Weight Loss

Despite all the media hype over fad "lose half your body weight in 3 minutes" diets, "miracle" diet supplements, weight loss surgery and low-carb, low-fat, low-sugar foods...blah, blah, blah, the simple fact is that the proper way to lose weight in a managed, sustainable way involves changing eating habits and becoming more active. And if you have been a couch potato for a long time, this can mean something as simple as getting used to walking more. In fact walking is a fantastic exercise for weight loss - a simple rule of thumb is that a 180 pound person will burn 100 calories for every mile.

The sad reality is that our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have resulted in a situation where we consume many more calories than we burn, hence the obesity epidemic which is spreading across the developed world. Remote controls, cars, computers, etc all contribute to lifestyles that involve just a fraction of the physical activity we are naturally designed for. So how do we make a change?

Obviously, if you have a weight problem, you are not going to be able to run a marathon 2 weeks after you start any new exercise programme. Patience is the key factor. Start slowly with a regular walk around the block, park a further distance from work (or get off the train/bus at a stop which is further away), use the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. Just start doing lots of little things that will increase your level of activity and then build up from there.

Few people realise just how good walking is as exercise; if you walk at a relatively moderate pace for 30-60 minutes, you will burn stored fat and can start to build muscle and speed up your metabolism. Studies also show that walking for an hour a day will help to reduce your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke.

In terms of the energy you use up during walking, the important thing is the distance covered, so when you start your walking for weight loss exercise regime, your focus should be on increasing the distance covered first and then you can look at increasing your speed. However, when you start building up the speed you will find that your workout will really start to bear fruit. This is because (surprisingly) brisk walking can be almost as energy-sapping as jogging.

The reason for this is that walking at a speed quicker than 3.1 mph will naturally lead to you increasing your stride length. Using longer strides is inefficient since is it requires additional energy to move your legs forward, which in turn requires more arm and torso movement, which can only be achieved by greater torso and hip rotation. Basically it means you are giving yourself a harder aerobic and calorie-burning workout.

Depending on your commitment and level of discipline, you will hopefully find that a simple walking regime will start to produce some great results in terms of weight loss and health improvement. The key is to then start increasing the level of activity to avoid a "plateau" effect where your body gets used to the current level of activity and no further weight loss gains are achieved. This increased activity may involve jogging, joining a gym, etc, but always be aware that there are some simple ways to burn many more calories whilst walking, including:

• Using walking poles; fitness walking poles such as Like poles and Nordic Walkers will help to burn more calories.
• Learning Racewalking; walking at speeds of over 1 mile per 13 minutes will use more muscle groups, burn more calories and build muscle.
• Carrying extra weight; as shown in many army training exercises, walking with extra weights is a great way for increasing fitness levels. Place the weight (not more than 10 pounds) in a backpack or at your hips so your body can remain balanced and your posture is not affected. However, this is not recommended if you are still relatively unfit or inexperienced - walking with poor posture or adding weight to your arms or legs can potentially lead to injury.

A final tip is to find a partner who can go walking with you. However, try to make sure this is a person who is fitter and/or more motivated than you - someone who will push you to greater efforts.
And a final warning - always remember that no amount of walking will help you to lose weight unless you regulate your eating habits as well.
Mike Barrows has written a hard-hitting book revealing the secrets of the diet industry, looking at the growth of obesity around the world and highlighting ways in which you can solve your weight problems, including walking for weight loss issues. Pick up a copy of "Big Fat Lies" FREE and learn some amazing facts including the secret of proper, permanent weight loss.