Congratulations, you’ve made the commitment to get yourself in better shape so that going forward your going to be able to experience more out of life then just sitting in a comfy chair while your watching a movie or television show that after it’s over, you really didn’t gain anything from the experience, except maybe adding a few hundred calories since you chowed down on that bag of chips and dip, while watching the show!
Having decided to really commit to a more active lifestyle, you spent some time looking to see which form of exercise will fit your daily and current physical needs.
If you have decided to take up walking as a part of your health goals for 2019, to lose weight or for better health, you won’t be disappointed. Walking is the most convenient and the best form of physical activity for good health and weight management. Walking as an activity, does not drain you out like painful workouts or various kinds of fad diets that eventually show results but only for a short period of time.
Another good thing about walking is that it’s a "low-impact" form of exercise. While getting your body moving, you’re not subjecting yourself to higher impact forms of exercising that can put more force stress on your joints, such as your knees, hips, and ankles, as well as your spine.
Simply stated, a workout is low-impact if at least one of your feet always remains in contact with the ground. Walking, hiking, and most step aerobics, along with yoga are great low impact forms of getting your body moving and providing you with a healthier future.
Why Choose Walking?
Walking helps you burn calories and helps you lose weight. It helps reduce risks of heart disease, type II diabetes, breast cancer, and other lifestyle diseases. It is recommended to walk for 60 minutes a day, and a few times in a week for good health. Once you get accustomed with walking on a regular basis you will soon find that walking for 30 minutes to an hour will be achievable to you.
Before you get started, here are few things to consider when you begin with a walking program:
Preparing to walk: Before you begin a walking program, getting a medical check-up (in case you are suffering from any kind of illness), is a must!
Investing in basic walking gear: Includes the right shoes, clothing (suited for the current weather you're taking that walk in), and more.
Learn the proper walking technique: You need to learn a good walking technique or the effort would be futile. This includes proper posture, use of arms and right leg motion.
Walking Schedule: You need to determine how often you will walk, it’s easier to plan this out so you can commit to walking the same time each day for continuity. Determining your walking schedule will help you to know how long it will take you each day to walk the distance you're going. In time, you will be able to increase that distance within the same amount of time. When this happens, you know your progressing. Using a Pedometer or Fitness Tracker can help you to determine just how well you’re doing on a weekly and monthly basis.
How fast,? Different types of walking techniques can determine your walking speed. Your stride, you're overall health status when you begin your walking program, has a lot to do with just how far and how fast you can go, distance wise, based on the time frame of 30-60 minutes’ walk time per day.
Self-Motivation: Firstly, if you have taken up walking to be your fitness regime, you have achieved the first level of moving closer to your health goal. Secondly, if health is your priority, find ways to motivate yourself, not lose interest or give up. You can explore different locations for walking, which could motivate you daily.
Make small goals to achieve the big ones: Try setting small goals, like 15 minutes a day and increase it daily by 10 minutes, which will eventually help you achieve the 60 minutes walk a day.
Experiment with other exercises
Once you're more advanced, you can include jogging or any form of strength training in addition to your walking. It skips the possibility of losing interest as it is bringing in variety to your activity. Strength training benefits your metabolism, muscles, and more, and as walking becomes part of your daily routine; you can even consider adding a little weightlifting to increase your stamina. You should go for more effective ways to use walking weights that involve lower risk of injury. Start off with 2lb wrist weights and build it up from there as the weight begins to feel comfortable. Remember to gently swing your arms to take advantage of the pulling sensation the weights offer for resistance.
Setting the right expectations
The most important thing to remember is to be realistic. If you’re unable to complete the 60-minute walk, don’t be hard on yourself. The body takes time to get used to a certain activity and you will eventually achieve it with the right determination and dedication. If you're new to exercise, focus on starting slow, be consistent and you will notice your body getting stronger as time goes by. Setting up smart goals is a unique technique. These are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (S.M.A.R.T) goals that will help you structure your walking in the course of time. You can also eventually modify your walking techniques to increase stamina or strength. You are likely to discover that using the right posture and arm motion will help you walk faster.
Keep in mind that before beginning any kind of exercise program, especially one that you plan on using to increase your stamina with hopes to reach and exceed preset goals, you need to first go to your family physician to see if you're physically capable of beginning your walking program. After all, it's better to start out knowing that your body’s capable of embarking on a path to a better lifestyle, without having any surprises!
So, go on, lace up, get up and get walking your way to a fitter, healthier body and mind. Happy Walking from your fellow walkers here at Pedometersusa.com