A majority of people lead very busy lifestyles. For example, I hold down two jobs – one full time and one part-time. I sit for 12 hours a day three times a week. That is a long time to sit without any physical activity whatsoever. This is why many who work in office settings tend to put on weight and find it difficult to shed the extra pounds.
I came to the point where I didn’t know what to do for exercise. I don’t have time to join a gym. I also don’t have the time to run home and change into gym clothes. The easiest solution for me was to walk after work on the days I only work at my day job. I wear or bring tennis shoes on those days and right after work, I walk at a nice location in town. Sometimes I change up where I walk but I get in a good 30 – 45 minute walk each time.
It may be hard to view walking as a form of exercise. Many people assume you have to be dripping in sweat to have an effective workout. Well, considering that many people do not exercise at all, walking is a great benefit for many people. Some advantages include:
- Low impact – not hard on the knees
- You can walk just about anywhere
- Improves circulation
- Helps control weight (lose weight)
- Vary your pace – walk a moderate to fast pace
Can you lose weight by walking? I say absolutely! Losing weight has a lot more to do with the food you eat. If you eat junk on a regular basis, even daily exercise may not help you to lose weight. However, eating a healthy diet and incorporating basic exercise such as walking can help you shed any excess weight.
You can walk every day or a few times a week. The best thing is that you can walk anywhere you want. Do you live close to a beach or tourist area? If you are in a big city, you can find tons of cool places to walk. It is one of the easiest forms of exercise to begin.
If your goal is to lose weight, it is crucial that you clean up your diet as well. The easiest way to do this is to reduce the amount of bad carbs you consume. That means cutting back on white bread, white rice, and especially sugar. Sugar is in a lot of the foods you wouldn’t consider having sugar so be sure to read your labels.
Starting up a regular walking program is easy. You can start at your own pace and speed up when you feel ready. As long as you’re moving, you are already on the right track to better health.
