by Brad Morgan
Why walk? It is one of the only Exercises that almost anyone can do. In addition, it is free and requires no gym membership or fancy equipment. You can do it anywhere, even inside on rainy days. It is also great for your overall health and your weight loss goals in particular. These and many other reasons makes walking one of the most favored forms of Exercise.
If you want to burn fat and get into great shape, walking is for you. Here are some tips for turning your walk into quick weight loss workout.
An important part of walking is posture. Carrying yourself correctly can help your body avoid becoming injured and can also make your walk more efficient.
* Keep your head and back straight.
* Always push off with the balls of your feet and land with your heel first.
* Avoid leg and hip pain by walking with your toes straight, not turned out or in.
* Keep your chin up, relax your shoulders, and tuck your butt in (rotate your hips forward a little ? this will keep your back straight).
Now, to get more from your walk:
1. Walk with your legs and your arms.
Don't let your legs do all the work. Bending your arms at right angles and holding your hands in loosely curled fists will help you burn a bunch more calories than if you just let them come along for the ride.
When you stride forward, bring your arms straight forward and then straight back. Keep them close to your body. You may seem people who are throwing their arms up in the air and looking like they're going to propel themselves off the ground!
Keep the arch of your arms even with your breastbone; you don't need an exaggerated movement. Try a few minutes at first and then progress until your arms are actively involved in your entire walk.
2. Don't stagnate.
Your body craves movement, and it needs ever-increasing amounts in order to maintain levels of quick weight loss. If you notice your jeans aren't getting any looser, it's time to add more time to your walks. If you are doing forty-five minutes, move to fifty-five. When this becomes too easy, move to sixty.
At this rate, you'll have to walk for hours to see any results! Don't worry; you can always add some variety with hills or faster intervals so your body is challenged.
3. Climb those hills.
It doesn't seem fair sometimes ? you work to achieve weight loss, and the second it get easy, you have to work even harder. Your body quickly becomes used to doing the same Exercises. The walk that burned you so many calories when you started is a walk in the park for your body now. You always have to add intensity.
If you are walking outdoors, find a route that has a good mixture of level terrain and hills. If you keep your pace brisk, these hills are great for busting through weight loss plateaus.
When you are inside, just a few pushes of the incline button can add instant hills. You can also achieve results even if you are doing walking videos. Simply add intervals of more brisk walking. You can even jog to keep up the intensity.
Don't let your body ever become used to an Exercise. It needs to be challenged constantly in order to keep your heart healthy and your body working at its optimum.
4. Mix it up.
Walking is one of the best things you can do for your body, but it also needs a range of movement in order to achieve quick weight loss. Strength and flexibility training can help you get there.
Try adding a few days of strength and flexibility training a week. You can also divide your workout between walking and weight training. You will definitely notice a difference in your body's appearance and health. Not only will you lose weight, you'll see more defined muscles.
Many weight loss experts say that walking is one of the best Exercises you can do to achieve your goals. But to lose weight, it can't be a stroll around the park.
Always strive to do more when you exercise. Walking, with intense intervals and with a variety of other workouts mixed in, is an excellent way to achieve quick weight loss and keep the pounds from coming back on.