Hello Everybody,
We all want healthy weight loss. There are too many fad diets and pills out there and they should be avoided. But what about healthy exercise? Diet and exercise should go together and there are many exercise programs to choose from. How do you choose?
Most exercise is healthy, so long as you do not have a health problem to begin with and do not go too far too fast. It is a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start any weight loss program. He will probably be delighted you propose to get fit at last.
So what kind of exercise should you be taking? To a certain extent this is age related. Young people can enjoy almost any exercise they want. But as we get older ability, and with it interests, change. We do get the occasional paragliding grandmother or octogenarian mountaineer - proving that being too old is often in the mind - but there are a lot more basket-ball playing teenagers around. So it is a case of doing what you feel you are able to do.
Walking is about the most flexible of all exercises. You can do it anywhere and at any age. You can have an easy stroll in the park or spend an hour’s power walking, burning off the maximum calories. What if it’s raining? Take a waterproof. What if it’s too hot? Walk early morning or late evening. In most places there are few days of the year when you cannot walk.
Another advantage is that you can walk every day. It may be more impressive to tell people you are off to the gym for a workout, but how often do you go? Or are likely to go? I am amazed at the assumption of those giving fitness advice that everybody has a gym just round the corner. I have news for these people - most of us don’t. Gyms are associated with larger towns. Not everybody who lives out of town spends their days on horseback herding cattle and getting mega fit in the process. They need exercise, and have to do what they can to get it. Walking is the perfect exercise for everybody, everywhere.
There are several levels of walking and you can aim for whatever level you want, but start slowly, walking at a steady pace. Just walk for 15 minutes a day, then after a week or so increase this to half an hour. Take your time and when you find this easy increase to an hour. That can be half an hour’s walking morning and half an hour in the evening. If you enjoy your walking you may want to try brisk walking or even power walking. The calories you burn off varies with weight. But if you weigh 160 pounds, half an hour’s slow walking burns 91 calories, half an hour’s brisk walking 182 calories and half an hour’s power walking 290 calories.
Brisk Walking. You should walk with your heel hitting the ground first and then using your whole foot before pushing off with the toes. Keep your hips still, loosen your shoulders. Walk with bent arms. This will exercise your whole body and not just your legs as in slower walking.
Power Walking. You can burn as many calories as jogging but it puts less strain on the joints. Concentrate on really active arm movements. Swing them back so that your hand is level with your waist and then forward so that it is nearly at shoulder level. Use the feet as in brisk walking. Do this and you should be walking fast, but not getting so out of breath that you cannot hold a conversation.
So walking for healthy weight loss is easy, you can burn off as many calories as you want depending on how fast and how long you walk. Half an hour a day should be your minimum, but do what you can - after a few weeks you will see the benefits. You need good boots and suitable clothing for the climate, but walking is a lot cheaper than going to the gym. Many people think it is more fun too.
See you soon,
Peter Stockwell
5 August 2010
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