Platinum Author
Is walking to lose weight worth your time?
The simple answer to this question is yes but only if your diet is clean and your eating the right amount of calories to create the necessary negative energy balance that is key to effective weight loss.
When I was younger I believed that is was the amount of exercise I did that was the route to fat loss and a great body. For a lot of my youth I got away with this thinking but as I have become older and started working as a personal trainer I now know that this is not the right approach
Diet is the key to successful weight management and good health.
Exercise is also for health, to gain or maintain muscle and to improve the way we perform.
If you look as diet as the starting point for weight loss and that exercise is the tool to help your diet then I think you will see a big difference in you ability to lose weight.
I see this difference all the time with my personal training clients. I can have 2 people with similar genetics and backgrounds doing the same exercise routines and one is looking great and the other is struggling to hit their goals and the difference is their diets.
So how can you get the most from your walking?
First off I would like to say that if to really want to get quick and better results then you need to include more intense forms of exercise such as resistance and cardio interval training.
However if you're not able to do this for one reason or another or you're just not ready for this level then walking is great place to start. So to make sure you get the most from the time you spend walking here are some quick guidelines
1. Walk for at least 45 mins - in my opinion if you are walking less than this your just not going to burn off enough calories.
2. Try to vary the resistance using inclines. If you are walking outside try to pick a route where there is different levels of terrain. This will make the walk more challenging, burning more calories and boosting your metabolism. As you get fitter take on higher and higher inclines. I live in an area with lots of hills and mountains and I can tell you a good walk up one of these is a fantastic fat burning workout.
3. Try to beat your times. - If you walk a regular route make a note of the time then try to continually beat it. This will give your workouts focus, motivation and ensure you keep pushing your body to work harder and burn more energy.
4. Weather permitting try to walk outside, as it is far more interesting, challenging and enjoyable than plodding away on a treadmill so should keep you motivated to stick with it.
Walking is probably one of the healthiest physical activities that a person can do with such benefits as reduced inflammation in the body, better circulation and improvement in dealing with stress. So even if you exercise intensely, you need to add walking to your routine for good heath
I used to think of walking for weight loss and in general as not being "proper exercise" but I was mistaken. Walking is a fantastic activity and should be done by everybody wants optimal health and well being.
However when it comes to fat loss, walking can only work if your diet is on the mark.
About this Author
Howard Standring is a Personal Trainer who runs Energia Fitness based in Southern Spain.
Check out this quick weight loss dietthat burns loads of body fat by eating Pizza! Yes its true.
For more fat loss tips <----Click here
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Howard_Standring
