Want to Know The Right Way To Walk Off Weight?
Have you been walking but getting nowhere with your weight loss efforts? Don't despair, you're not alone. It turns out that a lot of people shares your dilemma, but help is right around the corner.
I found this wonderful article by Maggie Spilner, former Prevention Walking Editor. Her pearls of wisdom should shed some light on your walking weight loss efforts.
Prevention's Pedometer Walking Exercise Program
By Maggie Spilner , Former Prevention Walking Editor, Maggie Spilner, is the author of Prevention's Complete Book of Walking. She is currently organizing walking trips, lecturing, and working on a new walking book.
Introduction
In my 15+ years as Prevention's walking editor, I discovered that one of the most common mistakes made by walkers who want to lose weight is getting stuck in neutral. Even if you're taking thousands of extra steps according to your pedometer, if they're always at the same comfortable pace, you won't drop an ounce. You need to shift your walks into high gear!
Prevention's "Walk Off More Weight" pedometer exercise program can help. This walking workout builds on our original pedometer program that appeared in the magazine in July 2001. Along with increasing the number of steps you take throughout the day, you'll pick up your intensity (thus increasing your heart rate) for a portion of those steps. Adding this type of intensity helps boost calorie burn, fitness, and endurance.
We asked 25 people just like you, people who'd been walking regularly but just weren't seeing any results, to try our pedometor walking exercise program for 8 weeks. Those with the most outstanding results diligently stuck to the pedometer walking exercise program and made simple but committed changes in their diets, such as eating less meat or sweets or eating more fruits and vegetables. (We asked them not to change their diets, so we could see the results of an exercise-only program. But once they stepped up their exercise efforts, they just couldn't resist shaping up their diets too!) After just 8 weeks, they were hooked.
Read the success stories of four revved-up walkers who lost pounds and inches, improved their fitness, and increased their energy levels. They also lowered their cholesterol and their triglycerides! Now, it's your turn.
All you need is a pedometer with a pulse meter. (Or use a regular pedometer, and track your heart rate.) First, figure out the average number of steps you take a day. To do this, wear your pedometer from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night. Don't change your daily routine or walk more than usual. Do this for 3 days, ideally 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day. Total your steps for the 3 days, and divide by three to get your baseline.
To establish your daily step goal, add 7,500 steps (about 3 3/4 miles) to your baseline.
Reach Your Zone To calculate your target heart rate zone, subtract your age from 220. That's your maximum heart rate (MHR). Then, keep your pulse between 60 and 80% of your MHR. If you're 40, for example, your MHR is 180 beats per minute. Your target range is 108 to 144 beats per minute (180 x 0.60 and 180 x 0.80). These are only estimates; always consider how you feel as well.
Check your pulse by placing two fingers lightly on your wrist (on the side by your thumb) or on your neck (slightly off center). Count the beats for 10 seconds, then multiply by 6. Or, you can use a heart rate monitor. Get the full article here.
Will you be our next weight loss success story? Find out what some people who were having difficulty losing weight did to lose 8 to 15 pounds in a week with ease.