Walking is a great exercise for weight control, but there are some important steps to take if you want to achieve significant results. In the first of a series of blogs on walking to help you get in shape for summer, let’s look at some of the most common mistakes walkers make that prevent weight loss, and what you can to do avoid them.
- Not walking fast enough - Speed matters. People who maintain a faster pace while walking will burn more kilojoules, and get better results. After a few weeks of regular walking, a leisurely stroll just won't cut it anymore. If your goal is weight and fat loss, faster walking equals faster results. One good guide is to walk fast enough so you can hear your breath while exercising. Studies have shown this is a good indicator of fat burning
- Not walking faster as you get fitter - After walking for a few weeks, you will start to find it more comfortable, as your leg strength improves, and your lungs breathe a little easier. The fitter you get, the more efficient your body gets at moving you around. This also means you will burn less kilojoules. Unless you continue to progress, and up the duration, intensity or frequency of your walks, your results will grind to a halt. So don’t just plod along on your walks, otherwise you won’t know how far you’ve come, or if you need to push things a little further. Keep a record of any information you can, such as the distance you cover, your personal best time over a given course, the intensity of your walks, the total duration of your walks or the total steps taken each day, week or month. Having times to beat or distances to cover also adds to your motivation.
- Not walking for long enough - When you are just starting out, any walking is ideal. Even short bouts of walking accumulated over the day can be beneficial. But while any exercise is better than none, you will need to walk for more than 10 minutes a day if you want life changing, body shape changing results. As you get fitter, longer walks will help to burn higher levels of stored fat, as you use a higher proportion of body fat as fuel as the duration of your walk increases. As fitness increases over time, the body becomes more efficient at burning fat.
- Not adding variety - There’s no doubt that variety is the spice of life, and the same rule applies to walking. If you stick to the same routine all the time, it’s only natural that you will get bored, and find it harder to motivate yourself. Try to vary the location, surface, time of day, intensity and duration of your walks to maintain interest.
Do you walk for weight loss? Are you looking to step up your program to get in shape for summer? Do you see any other common mistakes walkers make that you think may prevent them from getting results?
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