Walking To Lose Weight

Every day I am aware that I want to do my walking for weight loss or pedometer steps quota and usually decide in the morning exactly how I plan to do it for this day. Sometimes though the ‘feeling’ isn’t there: I don’t want to do it, or I cannot see how to do it without stressing about conflict with other goals.

That’s when pedometer steps helps! By wearing a pedometer daily it is easy to get started. In fact the busier the day the better. Make a game out of fitting in extra steps especially when it seems difficult. Walk while waiting, fill in time with picking up toys or clothes (bend and take each item back to its spot individually), walk from the back of the house or the office instead of shouting or phoning.

Walk to the shops. Walk to the other side of the car park. Walk down the stairs instead of using the lift.

Walking for weight loss can be taken too seriously. Walking or exercise can be taken too seriously.

Make it easy on yourself.

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As silly as it may seem to some the obvious advantage of the pedometer steps system of exercising and weight loss is the ease with which compliance is made. Keep an eye on the pedometer during the day and it becomes very easy to anticipate opportunities to make extra steps.

The number one complaint of those who are willing but unable to exercise is because it is hard to fit into the busy day.

Walking for weight loss can be done in a  number of ways:

take a 10 to 20 minute walk once or twice each day;

take a longer walk of at least one hour, once, twice or three times a week;

count pedometer steps.

Each will appeal or be successful because of the circumstances and preferences of your life.

The ritual of a regular, preferably daily walking schedule can contribute to its’ success but the two or three times a week ritual can also work.

Walking for weight loss becomes  familiar and benefits many people who can fit a walk to work or walk after school, into their lifestyle. It is less easy for those with more stressful routines which generally means a lack of regular commitments which allow planning. For these people the flexibility of counting pedometer steps becomes a real advantage.

Couple this with the established incentive of having a target against which to challenge yourself.

Many programs aimed at increasing exercise or walking for weight loss include a pedometer as the main weight loss tool.

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Sometimes when walking for weight loss it can become harder to focus on maintaining the program, life just seems to get in the way. Often we talk about rest days and pauses in the exercise or even diet process for a period of regeneration of enthusiasm and commitment. This can be necessary to regain the dedication to continue what is generally a long term routine, if not a lifestyle.

At the beginning it can be a question of finding your feet. Some trial and error may be necessary when walking to lose weight or making any other health and well being changes. Avoid continued major revisions in the process, if possible, as a routine is better to develop before changing or adding to it too much. Over time of course it may change significantly but it tends to be less disruptive to the overall balance if done on a gradual basis. This can also be personality influenced as some of us are more excited by change than others.

Walking for weight loss can be the easiest way to combine exercise and calorie control as well as the best chance of losing weight. If you can keep your focus clear, and your confidence loaded for success than the gradual increases also result in weight loss.

One of the ways to continue if you have reached an interest plateau is to add in weight training. Walking to lose weight is terrific weight bearing exercise for the lower body and is great aerobic exercise if done briskly, adding in hills or using the gradient feature on a treadmill.

Counting pedometer steps even at the gym is highly recommended while walking to lose weight. These methods can work together to improve your overall results but always build up over time.

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Pilates is something which I have tried and still am left wondering what it is all about. I suspect it is the usual -that to really enjoy a process one needs to fully commit to it before the many benefits become obvious. Walking for weight loss is in this category too. Simply put to enjoy the weight loss and health results which are reliably available from walking to lose weight, you have to commit to it!

And while I know people who swear Pilates is the only thing which keeps them functioning, the same is claimed for walking from those with back problems.

It is  more likely to be that both have major benefits and are not direct substitutes for each other. Walking has weight loss and strengthening effects on the muscles of the lower body but does not do much for the shape of your bottom.

Pilates is dedicated to strengthening the core muscle groups and this is obviously a very effective when tightening and toning rather than trying to lose weight.

Each is of benefit however walking for weight loss is an every day and life time commitment. Counting pedometer steps is a very easy way to include activity of all sorts in your lifestyle!

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Even walking for weight loss develops the musculature of the lower body and therefore can distort weight measurement on the scales when checking for weight loss. Fat is lighter for the same volume than muscle so trading one for the other can mean that the scales don’t show a loss or (heaven forbid) there may be a gain, while measurements should show a definite decrease. One would think then that measuring the appropriate parts of the body would be the best way to track weight loss.

Well it is…but there is a difficulty in measuring techniques and self measuring especially. How accurate are your measurements?

A good policy is to get someone else preferably a professional who has been trained but a girl friend (or wife) would do, to take the measurements. As this can be embarrassing this may not be your preferred option. If so do it yourself but be sure that you know exactly where you are measuring and repeat it at least one time to check the result. I do the bust or nipple line, under the bust (bra line), the waist at its smallest, hips (largest point), upper thigh and lower thigh (just above the knee) and the arm between the shoulder and elbow.

Obviously give yourself some time walking for weight loss before checking to see how many inches (!) you have lost. How long to leave depends on the frequency and type of exercise. My old routine was to leave it for 10 days of 10,000 steps before checking. Counting pedometer steps is one of the easiest ways to lose weight.

The type of exercise will also affect where you see the results.

Even though we are told that spot reduction doesn’t work and loss depends upon overall body fat reduction, if you measure you will find definite differences in the rates of loss. Weight training is great at sculpting the more difficult body parts. Walking to lose weight particularly walking up hills, naturally tightens thighs and bottom. The top half of the body can be neglected when walking for weight loss so it helps to add arm movements perhaps using hand weights during your walking routine.

We all know about buying jeans or some other item of clothing “hoping” that they will be an incentive for weight loss. How often does that work?

But I do recommend purchasing or finding a piece of clothing which is just too tight. It needn’t be expensive and may not even be something you want to wear but it can act as a demonstration of weight loss. It needs to not do up or strain across buttons etc. then take a photo. Over time check on the fit and notice where your measurements have changed. If necessary look at the photo to reassure yourself that it does now fit better. If certain parts are not reducing at the required rate then take specific action for that area.

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