Walking to lose weight

Introduction:

Walking at a continuous pace not only boost your energy level, but also reduces your weight. Walking should be aimed at particular distance or duration covered to maintain the proper health and control weight.

Walking is one of the best exercises to control weight and to burn excess calories if good methods of walking are practiced.

Walking styles:

It is always necessary to maintain good walking style to get the maximum benefits of this exercise and at the same time minimizing any health risk. The following walking styles should be maintained for obtaining the benefits.

•    Try to be as straight as possible including back while walking.

•    Your arms should be swing in front and back straight at a maximum angle of 90 degree centigrade with the body.

•    Take more steps per minute instead of taking longer steps.

•    Walking should be maintained in a straight line as possible and try to keep your foot very close.

•    Try to breath deeply.

•    You should start walking slowly in initial days and should increase the speed and miles gradually as you proceed, keeping in mind your body’s response to these exercises.

Losing weight and fitness level:

Being overweight can cause a decreased level of fitness. Burning extra calories by walking will not only make you slim and trim but also increase your overall fitness level. A lack in exercise always tries the decrease in efficiency of muscle and energy levels.

Trainer’s advice for Walking:

Heart rate is one of the factors for burning calories and thus controls weight loss. Higher the heart rate, higher calories will be burn and thus walking will be more effective for you, but at the same time you should also consult to an expert trainer, physiotherapist or physician for maintaining a specific heart rate. Ageing may cause some reduction in efficiency and pump ability of heart and a 20 years young male can achieve a maximum heart rate of 200 beats per minute and the same person at the age of 40 may achieve a maximum heart rate of 180 only. Your trainer may advice you to attain not more than 60 % of the maximum heart rate, if you observe any difficulty you should consult to the trainer or the physician.

Program for Walking:

Make a simple program for walking.

•    Start with a few minutes in initial days and gradually increase the duration.

•    For achieving effective results of the walking you should continue walking for a minimum of 30 minutes daily or at least 5 to 6 days of a week.

•    If your conditions allow you to walk briskly, walk as much as you can. In case you observe any symptoms of breathlessness, vomiting, dizziness or any unusual symptoms, you should contact to your doctor.

•    Before walking do exercise for stretching of the body parts such as arms, head, shoulder, ankles, stomach, back etc, for a few minutes.

•    If you get tired during walking, you should gradually slow down your speed.

•    Too much of brisk walk can cause breathlessness in some of the people.

•    You should adhere to your walking schedule daily and try to convert your walk in three time zones, first slow walking for 4-5 minutes, second brisk walking and third slow walking for 4-5 minutes.

•    The first and third time zones are for warm up and clod down zones. Brisk walking should be gradually increased from 405 minutes in initial week to 25-30 minutes after 8-10 weeks.