One activity that helps keep you active and is nearly excuse-proof is walking. Walking is an inexpensive form of exercise. It is low impact and you can do it just about anywhere. Any activity that gets you moving also helps to burn calories. Combined with a healthy diet, walking can help you lose weight.
Calories and Technique
Walk with your body tall and your head up, and swing your arms naturally with each stride. Inhale and exhale fully as you walk, and if you encounter a hill, lean into it slightly as you walk up. The Mayo Clinic says walking at a 3.5-mph pace burns 277 calories in one hour for someone weighing 160 pounds. By comparison, one hour of jumping rope burns 730 calories, an hour of swimming laps burns 511 calories and 60 minutes of Rollerblading burns 913.
Frequency
If you are trying to lose weight, walk for 30 to 45 minutes at a brisk but comfortable pace as many days as you can. Walking does not supply the overall calorie burn of more intense activities, so increased frequency is necessary to achieve similar results. As you become accustomed to walking more regularly, try to add hills and uneven terrain to your walks for more challenge and calorie burn.
Opportunities
One distinct benefit of walking as a weight-loss activity is that you can fit it into your everyday routine without much trouble. Opportunities for walking present themselves many times over the course of a typical day. Park your car a few blocks from work and walk the rest of the way, take stairs whenever possible, walk your dog each day or walk to do errands. You can set aside a specific time for walking each day, but taking advantage of walking opportunities when they arise will move you toward your goal faster.
Motivation
Staying motivated can be the biggest hurdle facing many exercisers, even when the exercise is only walking. You can keep yourself motivated by finding a walking partner or group so you are accountable to someone else, writing down your goals or using a treadmill to make walking in the evenings more convenient.
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