Walking for Weight Loss: The Bottom Line!

After decades of decline, walking has been slowly getting more positive attention these days. Walk-a-thons, organized hiking groups, walking clubs and such are a part of our culture today.



That's the good news, but the bad news is this. As individuals, we continue to lag behind other developed nations when it comes to our walking habits. We're missing an opportunity for walking to lose weight, gain health and just have a good time! Let's look a little closer at walking, so you can see about upping your daily steps!



Quick Stats:



1. When walking to lose weight, how much is enough? Most weight loss experts recommend 30-60 minutes of walking each day, six days a week. Another way to approach it is to shoot for 10,000 steps per day, or about 5 miles. It takes the average person about 60 minutes to walk 5 miles. (The number of steps includes those you take in your normal life, so about 45 minutes of walking should get you to your goal.)



2. How many calories does an hour of walking burn? According to the Mayo Clinic, this depends on your weight. A person who weighs about 160 pounds will burn 200 calories per hour. If you walk for an hour a day you’d burn an extra 6,000 calories monthly, and would lose just under 2 pounds per month. This fact is why many popular diet plans advocate walking as a part of their program.



3. Do you need to ‘Power Walk’ in order to lose weight? Absolutely not. While moving faster or moving your arms will obviously burn more calories, you can realize excellent weight loss benefits as noted above – simply by staying consistent with your walking.





Let's check out the other health benefits you'll enjoy as a result of regular walking.



1. Lowered blood pressure, increases your heart rate



2. Remain strong and fit and tones your body



3. Greatly reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes (or manage it better)



4. Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)



5. Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)



6. Improve your mood and reduce risk for depression



Simple steps to take when walking to lose weight:



STEP ONE:

Start slowly if your time is limited. Even 15 minutes will help, and will get you get in the habit of walking.



STEP 2:

Make it fun! If you don’t enjoy it you won’t do it long-term. I like to use my walks as a time to commune with nature, so I make sure to walk on a path.



STEP 3:

Find a walking partner. If you enjoy company while walking to lose weight, he or she will help you with accountability. Plus you get the benefit of connecting and catching up.



STEP 4:

Try and create a special time when you walk every day. I enjoy walking in the evening when it’s quiet and many people are in bed. Listen to your intuition, and do what works for your lifestyle.



STEP 5:

Be present – Focus on your breathing, and think about how your body is toning and getting healthier. Visualization works!



STEP 6:

Here are a few, final tips: Always remember to hydrate, and to stay in a safe, well-lit area when walking.



By way of example, my husband and I were recently in an area of the country where it rained for about 10 days. We walked in the rain a little, but whimped out a lot too. Our mood began to suffer by the end of the stay!



Truth is, the benefits of walking to lose weight, to enhance your fitness, or to simply improve your mood- can't be emphasized enough!

Enjoy, you'll be surprised what regular interaction with the outdoors can do for you!