It is generally well accepted that exercise burns calories
and can increase the overall health of body and mind. Most
of us also recognize that walking is one of the simplest
and most effective exercises for weight loss and health. What
many people don't realize is that they might not be getting
the most effective returns on their efforts. It actually
requires just a little tweaking of a simple walking program
to make it more effective as a weight loss program.However, simply increasing the time to 45 or 60 minutes of activity two or three times a week will produce more weight loss than keeping all walks at 30 minutes.
Another technique is to increase the speed with which you walk on the days that you do not walk more than 30 minutes. This also has the benefit of conditioning the body in a slightly different manner than the slower paced, longer walks. Remember, no walk should introduce extreme difficulty in breathing. A rule of thumb is that if you cannot talk and walk, you are attempting to either go too fast or too far. Always build up slowly to new levels of exertion.
You may also want to consider adding resistance training, such as with free weights, or equipment such as a Bowflex or Total Gym, or similar exercise apparatus. This builds muscle tissue which will burn more calories even in a resting state. Additionally, walking exercises only certain muscles and muscle groups. A resistance training program can be used to train muscle groups generally not included in walking.
Although the extended 45 and 60 minute walks will be somewhat
more effective if done at one time, two 30 minute walks in
a day will be more beneficial for fitness and weight loss
than only one.
I would like to take a moment to address walking vs. running as a weight loss program.
Certainly, if you train to the point where you can run certain distances in certain times, you will almost certainly experience a major weight loss if that is what your body needs. However, you can get just as fit as a runner by walking with a great deal less danger of injury. A beginning walker in particular is more likely to experience less discomfort during and after an exercise period than a beginning runner. Once you have built muscles and stamina, you may wish to move into a running program. Also, in the beginning of any exercise program, whether for weight loss or physical fitness, extreme demands on the body and one's physical, mental, and motivational resources may result in the program being dropped. It is generally easier to slip into a permanent walking program from a sedentary lifestyle than a running program.
One last argument for at least beginning with a walking program
is that you can sneak into a walking program without any
special equipment or preparation, and no one but you needs
to know that the shopping trip to the mall was actually your
secret walk for the day.
There's an old saying that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step...so does a successful weight loss program.
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