How To Lose Weight and Live Longer
Once upon a time you learnt to walk.
It was a few years ago now.
But you put one foot in front of the other and hey, you were motoring. I bet your parents couldn't keep still once you learnt that little trick.
But then what happened?
You hit your teenage years, and reverted to your pre-walking days. Spending most of your time sitting and not moving around.
It happened to most of us.
Modern life seems to mean sitting. Whether it's in the car commuting. At your desk in work. Down to dinner. Or in front of the television after dinner.
It's definitely less moving, more sitting.
The thing is, your body is designed to move. It's designed to walk.
So if you want to be healthy, you want to lose weight, and you want to live longer, it's important to get moving. It's important to get walking.
Walking for Fat Loss
You would be forgiven for thinking that just going for a walk is not going to do much for your weight loss goals.
Walking is an amazing form of exercise. It's accessible. It's easy. You've been doing it for years. You can do it anywhere. You don't need any special equipment. It gets you out of the house so you get a lovely dose of fresh air and vitamin D.
Yes, yes, but can it help you lose weight?
Absolutely it can.
You know, when you're exercising for weight loss you don't have to leave your session feeling like you've given your absolute all.
You don't have to feel beasted. In fact, that's the opposite of what you need.
You should be feeling energised, healthy, happy and keen to get doing it again.
Walking for Fat Loss and Health
But walking isn't just good for fat loss. It's great for your general health. If you're walking you're not sitting.
Sitting for too long can cause an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. By getting up and walking for two minutes out of every hour you can reduce your likelihood of getting these diseases, and increase your lifespan by 33%. Yay.
That's because going for a regular walk triggers an anti-aging process and even helps repair old DNA.
Let's face it, sitting in front of your computer for hours on end just isn't good for you. It's bad for your eyes, your posture, your general health and your sanity.
Have you ever noticed that once you step away from your computer inspiration can hit you. Sometimes right between the eyes.
You may have been battling with a particular problem for hours. And once you step away, clear your head, get the blood pumping around your body again, the solution comes to you. Like magic.
Walking for Fat Loss: How to Include into Your Day
Getting up from your computer and going for a little walk is a really great way to get more movement into your day.
Some other ways include:
Parking further away from the office.
Walking to the shops
Using the stairs instead of the escalator or lift
Going for a walk at lunchtime.
But, if you want to start walking for fat loss, you need to include a dedicated walking session that increases your heart rate for at least 30 minutes a day.
So get walking up a hill. Or go for a speed walk. Just make sure your heart rate is elevated.
To help keep you motivated set yourself a little challenge.
I set myself a distance target. A marathon a week. That might sound like a lot, and if it is too much for you, set a smaller distance. But it worked out at under 4 miles a day. A lunchtime walk, 1.5 miles, a walk up to the downs and back of an evening, 2.24 miles, and then a few walks around my office building throughout the day. That takes the total to 4 miles each day.
It really doesn't take that long.
If you don't want to go with distance, set yourself a time target.
As a start, aim to be active for about an hour a day.
That's a dedicated 30-minute walk, four 5 minutes strolls around your office building and walking to and from your car.
Increase the time gradually. Try adding on 15 minutes to your dedicated walk.
Important Info
© e-Slimmer 2021
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