Sometimes things just aren’t the same, like this Walking for Weight Loss blog post! It was deleted and as others have linked to it I am trying to replicate it as best I can.
I was making the point that with any mainstream topic of interest even walking there is divergent opinion. There is no way that all the advice is right for everyone but a lot is very good. The participant in a weight loss program needs to take responsibility-not hand it over to someone else unless they are prepared to commit themselves no matter what. Some of what was said follows. My apologies for the missing links.
It seems that even walking has controversy. Walking to lose weight is, of course, as controversial as any other weight loss topic. It can become a passionate belief system for some and weight loss success, which has such massive consequences for daily life, can create a zealot with “the” answer. (I am using zealot in the nice sense of the word!)
Recently I have seen a very interesting argument for barefoot running, applicable equally I presume for serious walkers. Yet I love the shoes which have come into my life since I have taken walking for weight loss seriously. Each season I purchase a new pair. This way I build up a wardrobe of appropriate walking shoes suitable for all conditions.
This has the benefit of making them fashionable, and on high rotation, which makes sense and is reported as necessary for someone who walks as much as I do. On the other hand I rejoice in the freedom of using my walking DVD which allows me to exercise in bare feet. I like to keep my feet happy and being the right temperature is important.
However if I was a very serious walker as opposed to a serious walker the reputed advantages of shoeless walking or running might trigger a conflict.
Then there is Facebook, where two groups caught my attention. One advocates slow walking and the other aggressive walking. They are represented by the following statements.
Slow Walking is a lifestyle choice, get used to it.
Aggressive Street Walking: Not a sport but a lifestyle.
Also an article on the health benefits of walking down stairs has picked up my spirits on this issue. Multiple benefits flow from walking up steps but there are advantages associated with both directions of exercise. Some groups have advocated not stepping down stairs because of potential joint damage.
I, and many others who are walking for weight loss, choose those diet and expert tips which suit us rather than get tossed around with each new piece of advice.
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