Lose weight with walking, go for an hour a day! Tip of the week 25.
Losing weight with walking is very possible. Those who have little time or inclination to exercise, or cannot do so well for other reasons, will benefit greatly from a regular brisk walk. Walking is not only healthy, it is also a very good way to burn calories and improve fitness and health.
Walking for half an hour a day already reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 50% and the risk of hypertension by 30% .
To burn fat optimally, half an hour of walking is too short, for that you are better off taking walks of three quarters of an hour to an hour.
- If you walk at a leisurely pace, you will burn about 250 Kcal. in an hour.
- Walking at a moderate pace, you burn about 340 Kcal per hour
- If you walk at a pretty fast pace, the number of Kcal you burn per hour quickly rises to around 540!
With walking, the risk of injury is very low and wear and tear on the joints is not an issue either. While walking, the knees and ankles are only moderately stressed.
In the process, walking improves cardiovascular fitness, lowers blood pressure and aids digestion.
Walking also has a positive impact on feelings of depression, tension and stress. Walking (exercise) releases the hormone endorphins that make you feel 'nice'.
Walking makes you tired in a healthy way so that you fall asleep better and easier in the evening. So indirectly, walking is also good for a good and healthy night's sleep!
If you want to burn even more calories, grab a pair of Nordic walking sticks so you can use up extra energy through the movement of your arms.
Nordic walking sticks can be found >HERE
Of course, a good alternative to walking is the treadmill in the gym. Handy when it's raining outside or if you need to go to the W.C. often on the go.
A treadmill at your home? >HERE you will find them to your liking, collapsible or not and for every budget.
Is losing weight with walking better than losing weight with running?
Those who want to lose weight are more likely to start with running than walking. Especially by young people, walking is rather seen as 'dull'. Yet there is a lot to be said for walking.
At >DIT article explains it all in great detail.
Rambler has no less than 50 reasons listed for you Why hiking is really a big YES.
Why 10,000 steps a day?
You regularly hear about people walking around with a pedometer to keep track of how many steps they take that day. Fine in itself, but personally I don't think it's necessary.
If you consider that taking 10,000 steps amounts to about an hour and a half of walking, it works just as well to just wear a watch and make sure you walk three times half an hour every day (or once an hour and once half an hour).
In addition, the number of steps does not tell me much. Taking 10,000 steps throughout the day, perhaps divided into ten walking sessions of 1,000 steps (about 10 minutes), is, in terms of losing weight and burning fat, quite different from walking for an hour and a half at a time.
On the other hand, it is useful - aside from losing weight - to consider whether you are getting enough exercise per day at all in view of all the other facets of your health. On average, we take 100 steps per minute, so do the math. Are you getting to the 10,000 a day mark?
Still like to challenge yourself with a pedometer?
>HERE you will find them in different shapes and sizes.
This week you may also weigh yourself! Click >HERE for handy weighing and measuring tips.
The above text previously appeared in the Balance book. The book is now sold out, but may still be available to order second-hand via the link below.
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