Walk Your Way Fit!
?It requires a direct dispensation from Heaven to become a walker."
~Henry David Thoreau
Have you been looking for an easy, fun way to get fit? One that doesn?t involve costly equipment or a ton of time?
Would you like to:
- Lose weight?
- Improve endurance?
- Tone muscles?
- Enjoy long range health?
Did you know that you can reap these benefits (and more) just by walking? You can! But, what most people don?t know: in effort to achieve a certain result, you need to use a specific program (or a combination of them).
When first making the commitment to a walking program, you?ll need to establish your goals--ask yourself: ?What?s my main fitness priority?"
Next, you need only match up your goal to one of these five programs. Choose from: weight loss, cardio conditioning, muscle toning, long term health or a combination of all of these.
Here?s a thumbnail sketch of each simple program:
* Weight Loss
Benefits: Flatten tummy, shrink hips, tighten thighs, reduce excessive fat.
Type of walk: Moderate; 45-60 minutes, daily.
Calories expended: 2,000-2,500 per week.
*Cardio Conditioning
Benefits: Strengthens heart, improves aerobic endurance, helps you perform better during other aerobic activities, and helps you recover more quickly from physical exertion.
Type of walk: High intensity, brisk pace; 20-30 minutes 3-4 days per week.
Calories expended: 800-1,000 calories per week.
* Muscle Toning
Benefits: Improve muscle strength, endurance, body firmness and increase metabolism.
Type of walk: Moderate, with resistance; 20-70 minutes 2-3 days per week.
Calories expended: 500-3,000 calories per week.
Notes: Use hand weights-light hand or wrist weights and swing them in a controlled manner. When doing so, flex your arm muscles, keeping them as close as possible to your trunk.
* Long Term Health
Benefits: Done consistently, this walk will increase energy, reduce stress and fatigue, improve risk of heart disease, improve mood, improve self-esteem and ad years to your life.
Type of Walk: Consistent walks; 30+ minutes, daily.
Calories expended 2,000 per week.
* Have it all! Mix up all four.
Type of walk: Choose one program each day, 4 times per week or check out some of the great walking videos here: http://www.collagevideo.com!
My Mom?s story: When I was a teen-ager my mother and I used to exercise together. After some years, however, my Mom?s priorities changed and she found herself about 30 pounds overweight. Once she made the commitment to make a change, she used the combination of a daily walk and a sensible diet. The result? She lost one pound per week for 30 weeks and is back to her thin self once again!
A couple things before you begin. Most importantly, before you begin any fitness program, check with your doctor. Also, to make your walking workout a positive experience, invest in proper footwear. You will want to have flexible sneakers, walking shoes or (what I usually recommend) ?cross-trainers." They are available at all sporting goods stores: make the investment, you?ll be glad you did!
And speaking of proper form, most people also do not realize that there is a ?way" to walk for the greatest benefit. It?s easy: first, strike the ground with your heel, rolling your foot to your toe. Then, push off with your toe. Repeat this with your opposite foot.
That´s all there is to it! With a little effort and your new flexible shoes "made for walkin´" you are well on your way to walking yourself fit!
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