Some people mistakenly believe that if they walk three times a week for a short period of time, they can lose weight easily. This is a myth. Effective weight loss through walking requires you to walk at least 45 minutes or more five to six days a week.
The important thing to remember is
to keep up to your walking on a regular basis. You will find it extremely hard to control your weight if you do not exercise consistently. It is also important to bear in mind that walking around your local area may not be enough, especially if you live in a flat area.
However, if you walk on a treadmill, you can get a more intense workout by elevating the grade, also known as the incline. Not only will the higher elevation increase your heart rate, but the muscles in your body will work harder and cause you to burn more fat.
By doing a treadmill walking session each day, you will easily be able to lose weight, and ensure that those pounds don't return! However, using a treadmill can mean that you have to stare at the same patch of wall every single day, so here are some top tips to help make your workout a lot more captivating:
Walk the Pyramid: This is a neat little game which is sure to keep you mentally active as well as physically active. You can play this game over the course of your workout; basically when you are doing your treadmill walking, increase the speed by 0.1mph every minute. Do this for half of your workout session, and then for the second half of your session you decrease the speed by 0.1 mph.
1,2,3 Counting Steps: Instead of obessing over the time clock on the treadmill display, count your steps. You can count your steps for one minute then take a break and do it again for another minute. It will pass the time and as you became more fit you'll notice the number of steps you count will increase, which should motivate you.
Step and Walk: I'm sure you know how effective treadmill walking can be and all the great benefits you can get from it, but why not combine treadmill walking with another exercise to make it even easier to lose weight! Divide your workout into equal chunks, I usually break mine down in to 10 minute slots. For the first 10 minutes I do my treadmill walking, and then for the second 10 minute slot I get off the treadmill and use a stepper. If you don't have a stepper you can easily substitute another exercise, perhaps you have an exercise bike or weights to lift.
Travel the World: This is a fun little game where you map out the favorite routes through your neighborhood and then imagine yourself walking there while you're doing your treadmill walking. What I did was actually record my journey through a local park on my camcorder, and then I watch this while doing my exercise and it's like being outdoors no matter what the weather.
Remember, exercise is a very personal thing, so just be creative and come up with your own little games and techniques to make sure that your workout is always fun!
By Torii Tompson
However, if you walk on a treadmill, you can get a more intense workout by elevating the grade, also known as the incline. Not only will the higher elevation increase your heart rate, but the muscles in your body will work harder and cause you to burn more fat.
By doing a treadmill walking session each day, you will easily be able to lose weight, and ensure that those pounds don't return! However, using a treadmill can mean that you have to stare at the same patch of wall every single day, so here are some top tips to help make your workout a lot more captivating:
Walk the Pyramid: This is a neat little game which is sure to keep you mentally active as well as physically active. You can play this game over the course of your workout; basically when you are doing your treadmill walking, increase the speed by 0.1mph every minute. Do this for half of your workout session, and then for the second half of your session you decrease the speed by 0.1 mph.
1,2,3 Counting Steps: Instead of obessing over the time clock on the treadmill display, count your steps. You can count your steps for one minute then take a break and do it again for another minute. It will pass the time and as you became more fit you'll notice the number of steps you count will increase, which should motivate you.
Step and Walk: I'm sure you know how effective treadmill walking can be and all the great benefits you can get from it, but why not combine treadmill walking with another exercise to make it even easier to lose weight! Divide your workout into equal chunks, I usually break mine down in to 10 minute slots. For the first 10 minutes I do my treadmill walking, and then for the second 10 minute slot I get off the treadmill and use a stepper. If you don't have a stepper you can easily substitute another exercise, perhaps you have an exercise bike or weights to lift.
Travel the World: This is a fun little game where you map out the favorite routes through your neighborhood and then imagine yourself walking there while you're doing your treadmill walking. What I did was actually record my journey through a local park on my camcorder, and then I watch this while doing my exercise and it's like being outdoors no matter what the weather.
Remember, exercise is a very personal thing, so just be creative and come up with your own little games and techniques to make sure that your workout is always fun!
By Torii Tompson
