Get Prepared
Okay, before you begin a walking regimen, you will need to make sure you are prepared. You won't actually need to have many items to get started. You probably already have most of what you need in your home already. The things you will need are:
- Running shoes
- Workout clothes
- Water bottle
- Place to walk
Make sure you have shoes that are made for running/working out. You don't want to go in flip flops or something else. You need shoes that are supportive for your body. This can prevent injury and ensure that you are keeping yourself safe while walking. Also, you will wish you had water so bring it with you. A reusable water bottle is fine.
As far as clothes go, as long as they aren't too restrictive they are fine to use. A T-shirt and shorts is just perfect. You don't have to go out and spend a lot on workout clothes. That is unless you want to. It's not required, but sometimes buying workout clothes can get you more motivated to actually go out and walk.
You will also need to have a good place to walk. A treadmill is fine. You could go down a sidewalk or a trail in the park. It depends on what is most convenient, safe, and doable, since you will be doing this often. So if driving to the park on the other side of town isn't something you could see yourself doing often, maybe pick a different place. You could even do this in the backyard.
Time Your Walks
You will want to know how long you've been out there, so having a device to time yourself is pretty important. You can use a phone or a watch. A watch may be more convenient for those who don't have pockets. If you are walking out in a neighborhood or park, I would urge you to always have your phone on you for safety reasons.
Type of Clothes To Wear
Try not to wear anything too tight or uncomfortable. You will want loose and breathable material to walk in. You want to choose comfort over style or looks. More comfortable clothing will help you be more flexible which will improve your fitness. Try not to wear restrictive clothing that limits your movement. Some materials may make you feel uncomfortable and you don't want that while you're walking.
Pick a Schedule
If you are walking for just 30 minutes, I suggest walking 6-7 days per week. If you want to walk 45 minutes to an hour, you may be able to get by with just 5-6 days per week. This will keep you burning fat and keep you on a consistent schedule.
I think if you walk any less than that, you may not lose much weight. This is because walking is so low impact and doesn't burn as many calories as some other forms of exercise. You have to be dedicated and consistent if you want to lose weight with walking.
How Long To Walk For Weight Loss?
When you are walking for weight loss, I suggest you walk 30 minutes to 1 hour daily for weight loss. Anywhere between that is fine too. If you want to do a 45 minute walk, by all means go for it. But just as long as you are walking at least 30 minutes, you are just fine.
If you start out at 30 minutes each time, you can slowly increase the amount you walk over time. You will feel like naturally doing this as your fitness level increases.
Before You Walk
Take at least 5 minutes to stretch before you go walk. This will give you some flexibility and reduce muscle soreness the next day. It will wake your muscles up and get them ready to complete the workout.
When you stretch, focus on the calves and quads, but make sure you get all the leg muscles fired up and ready to go. Lightly stretch your abdomen and other areas of the body as well.
When you are done with your walking workout, you can stretch again for 5 minutes. This will ensure that you don't wake up feeling too sore. Don't be surprised if you are still sore in the beginning though, especially if your body isn't used to working out. It's perfectly normal to feel sore, but the stretching will reduce the soreness.
What Pace Should You Walk At?
Walk at the pace you are comfortable at. You may notice that you start out walking pretty fast because you are full of energy at the start of your workout. If you have to slow it down after 20 minutes, go ahead and do that.You can finish the rest of the walk at a slower pace. In fact, it's healthy for your heart to have a cool down period anyway.
You don't have to force yourself to power walk the entire time, especially if that is hard for you in the beginning. We are all at different levels of fitness, so start where you are at and slowly build up your fitness level. You will be able to do more and more as time goes on.
When To Walk
It doesn't matter what time of day you choose to walk. Most people choose to walk in the morning or evening. I always walked in the evening, just because it fit with my schedule. You can choose whatever is best for your schedule, according to what responsibilities you have for the day.
The most important thing is to get out there and do it, and be consistent with your schedule. Never miss a day on your schedule unless you absolutely have to.
Yes you can lose a significant amount of weight walking, just so long as you are faithful to your routine. Do it when you're busy. Do it when you're tired and don't want to do it. As long as you aren't sick or injured, I see no reason not to walk. You can walk for weight loss and be successful. I hope these tips help you.
How To Take It Up A Notch
If you've been walking for a while and you feel that it isn't challenging anymore, you can take your walking workout up a notch. Walking for weight loss doesn't have to be boring and it doesn't have to be easy either. We can take it up a notch as soon as you feel ready.
Bring some hand weights with you on your walk. This is a great way to increase the toughness of the workout. You can choose small weights to begin with, and sit them down if they become too hard. If you are walking on a trail, keep in mind that you don't really have the option to leave the weights just anywhere, so make sure you pick small weights that you can handle or reduce the amount of time you are walking.
Another way to increase the difficulty of a walking workout is to add lunges into your walk. You can take some time from walking and just lunge walk on the trail. This won't work if you are on a treadmill, but it would be fine if you are free walking outside. Lunges make your booty more firm, so they are an excellent way to increase the intensity of your workout.
Another great way to take it up a notch is to add jogging into the mix. You can time yourself to job for 30 seconds and then go back to regular walking. Only do what you can handle though.
Make sure that you are ready to increase the intensity of your workouts before you do so. You don't want to run into any injuries or problems. You will know when it's time to start increasing the intensity of your walking workout, because your body will let you know. You will start to feel bored with walking and feel like it's "not enough". At that point, I would urge you to try these new things.
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