So many people do sports, go to the gym, and try different diets in order to lose weight. And, all of this time we have not even realized that everyday lengthy walks, as it is shown by numerous studies, are not less effective against excess pounds.
The important factors that are affecting the calories burned when walking are the distance covered, your speed, and also your body weight. If you wish for best results, you shall definitely follow a regular schedule and use a pace counter and you will start to lose weight quickly.
This kind of device will tell you how much you’ve walked during the day. And if you cover a big distance but still don’t lose weight, it can count how many paces you should add more.
This approximate estimation can definitely help you make your own schedule (please note that a lot depends on your individual characteristics, food habits, lifestyle, and health condition):
100 kcal = 2,000 paces = 1.6 km
1 kg = 140,000 paces = 7,000 kcal = 112 km
Ways in order to prolong your walks:
- You should try not driving or taking a bus.
- Always take your kids to and from school.
- Stop using elevators and escalators.
- Walk the dog longer. In order to make your walks more interesting, try the following:
- Take a friend with you
- Listen to the favorite music or some audiobook.
- Walk around some unfamiliar places, and often choose new routes.
While it is winter, you may continue practicing at home if you have a treadmill. Can let you watch movies or TV shows while keeping you in shape.
Bear in mind that your paces are uneven and can vary from a foot to a yard. In order to count your pace length, take a measure of distance of 10 to 20 meters, and cover it at your usual pace while counting steps. Divide this distance in centimeters (1,000 or 2,000) by the number of steps you have made.
Less than 70 paces/min
As for a healthy person, this kind of pace has next to no training effect. It is actually recommended for people recovering from a heart attack or suffering from some severe angina.
71-90 paces/min, 3-4 km/h
It is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases.
91-110 paces/min, 4-5 km/h
There is a nice load for your body that’s suitable for any healthy person.
111-130 paces/min
This is a great exercise for your body, but even healthy people face some difficulty maintaining such a pace for a long time.
- Start off with a light load, while gradually increasing the duration and pace. You shall definitely raise the length of your walks first, and only then increase your tempo. These loads shall be adequate for your health.
- Practice walking regularly. Doing one walk a week will not do you any good. And if you are not able to take walks every day, then at least do it 2-3 times a week. It might be done at any convenient time but no earlier than 1-1.5 hours after a meal.
- Consult your physician, and also undergo a medical checkup. Do this 1-2 times a year.
- Watch out for your posture while walking. The torso and shoulders should be straight and your stomach sucked in.
You should definitely also remember that a slow walk over a short distance will be actually useless, but if you walk too fast and for too long being unprepared, you may even cause harm to yourself.
