Walking to Lose Weight

by Weight Loss - July 30, 2020

Walking to Lose Weight – A Simple Formula for Success.

If you are facing in the right direction, then all you have to do is keep on walking to lose weight!

Everyone knows how important exercise is for our overall health, not to mention how we feel about ourselves — which is also very important. Popular exercise plans often promise six pack abs, sculpted glutes and a lean silhouette if you work harder than you ever have and consume less than has ever satisfied you; neither of which are sustainable. However, it is possible to get the results without the strain of intense training. Are you looking to bulk up or slim down? If you have athletic ambitions or you want to increase your strength, then weight training and strenuous aerobics will be the sport for you. But for those who want to be slim and healthy, then walking is ideal.

All Around Benefits of Walking to Lose Weight

Not only is walking enjoyable, it is cheap and also encourages socialization.
It is great for body sculpting too. Walking melts fat off the whole body–be it the abdomen, upper arms and hips. The reason walking is fat burning is because it is aerobic. This means it increases circulation, it increases the oxygenation of cells, it detoxifies, and it increases metabolism. The areas of highest fat concentration melt away first. Taking regular walks is really the answer to a firm and slim body. But we don’t mean the casual afternoon stroll–you can’t expect to get the benefits without achieving moderate pace. If you are going to use walking as a way to trim your body, you going to need to up your pace, lengthen your stride, swing your arms and increase the walking pace. To melt fat away, you have to raise your heartbeat and keep it raised for at least half an hour. If you do this, you will notice a slimmer and more toned physique in a matter of weeks!
Walking is low impact; it doesn’t damage the joints.
Walking is more effective against cancer and other diseases too, than extreme intense exercises. High-intensity workouts can put stress on the body, and that can be detrimental to your health. You may have heard of strong young people dropping dead from heart attacks after a marathon or a lot of jogging. It is better to take it at an easier pace, but for longer periods. You will see your weight improve and you will reap health benefits too, for sure!

Sedentary lives out, get the walking shoes on!

Have you got comfortable walking shoes with cushioned soles? Buy yourself good ones and do your feet a favor – you will feel like you are walking on air. You won’t regret spending a bit extra on good walking shoes.

Modern home and work environments mean that we spend large parts of our day’s sitting, particularly when we have office jobs.

Sedentary lifestyles definitely contribute to weight gain and also increase your risk of health problems. One study estimated that in order for you to maintain a stable weight, you need to walk at least 150 minutes a week – remember to keep it brisk. And if you want to increase the intensity of your walk and burn even more calories, then you can try walking on routes that have hills and slight inclines.

When people cut their calories to lose weight, they can lose muscle in addition to body fat. Since muscle burns fat losing muscle is a bit counterproductive. Muscle is metabolically more active than fat; it helps you burn more calories each day.

Avoid Muscle Loss

Toning and resistance exercises, which includes walking, help to counter the effects of muscle loss by preserving lean muscle as you lose weight. It helps to reduce the drop in your metabolic rate that occurs so often with weight loss, making your weight loss efforts easier to maintain. Walking also reduces age-related muscle loss, helping you retain your muscle strength and function as well.

An effective way of reducing belly fat is to regularly participate in aerobic exercises. One study showed how obese women who walked 3 times a week for 50-70 minutes reduced their waist circumferences by 1.1 inch. They also lost 1.5% of their body fat too.

Other Benefits of Walking

Apart from helping you to lose weight, walking has other benefits too. It boosts your mood, decreasing feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. It makes your brain more sensitive to the hormones norepinephrine and serotonin. These hormones relieve the feelings of depression and stimulate the release of endorphins, making you feel happy. Get out and walk!

Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise. (Carrie Latet)

That’s true.

Detoxifiying Benefits for Fitness and Health

by Weight Loss - June 30, 2019

Detoxifiying Benefits Your Body and Mind.

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Months have past since the end of the holidays, yet the effects linger on. You might need a good detox program. It may br the only way to return to wellness.

When your body shows signs of toxins buildup, it is time to detox. Toxins affect both your fitness level and mental attitude.

First indications are feeling sluggish and stressed. Additionally, having aches and pains signal the need to act. Extreme symptoms will include, diarrhea, constipation or feeling clumsy.

Toxins also manifest themselves in rapid weight gains and the incapacity to lose that excess weight.

Moreover, toxins in the body get stored on your fat cells. Detoxifiying benefits include cleaning that unwanted garbage in your cells.

Several organs in your body handle cell waste management:

Liver

The liver recycles the unwanted chemicals in the body. Additionally, it sorts out the toxins and using blood circulation moves them for elimination.

Lymphatic System

Lymph glands also play an important role in eliminating toxins. A network of glands channels the excess waste from the cells onto the final eliminating organs. The appendix, thymus, tonsils, and spleen are the lymphatic glands that assist major organs in the body to clean and detoxify.

Kidneys

The water management in the body is handled by the kidneys. They keep blood alkaline by eliminating the dissolved acid waste. Hence drinking plenty of water and alkaline drinks aids the process. Small amounts of alkaline liquids everyday will produce positive results.

Lungs

The lungs are the organs that oxygenate the blood. They allow the oxygen to enter the bloodstream. Additionally, they are responsible for removing waste gases found in every cell of the body. Deep breathing fresh air keep the lungs healthy and toxin free. If you live in a city, find oxygen rich areas such as parks where you can perform deep breathing.

Colon

The solid waste management organ in your body is the colon. Solid waste that accumulates on the walls of the colon. Detoxing and cleaning the colon takes time. Eating plenty of fiber over time will lead to a healthy colon.

Detoxifiying Benefits and Solutions

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, begin a regular walking routine. Exercise is a good key in having a fit and healthy body.

In addition doctors suggest drinking plenty of lemon water. This is an effective way of maintaining a very good circulation and will increase the rate of detoxification in the body.

For those extreme cases, consult a physician that will design a detox program.

Finally, detoxifying benefits will be seen in a short time after beggining the program.

Using Treadmills – The Choice Matters

by Weight Loss - December 28, 2018

Using Treadmills – Your Way To Health and Fitness

Trust “Tru” Katsande

Treadmills offer a great alternative to walking outdoors. Great for places where winters are long. Treadmills also are much more versatile, especially when choosing your terrain and walking attributes.
Additionally, they are easy to setup, and use. There is no need for special training when working on a treadmill. Unlike weight training equipment or other fitness machines.

Price of Treadmills

The price of a treadmill varies quite a bit. From a couple of hundred dollars for a low end model, treadmill users will pay up to several thousand dollars for a good high end machine. It all depends on the bells and whistles it has. Computer programmed displays, recording stats that include heart rate, time, calories, fat burn rate, distance, and terrain variations, all add to the price.

Motor Horsepower vs. Continuous Rating.

Another feature which should be taken into consideration is the motor size. For the average consumer a treadmill should offer a continuous duty rating. While some treadmill manufacturers may brag about their machine’s peak horsepower which may be extremely high. This however, means that under ideal conditions the treadmill might be able to achieve that. Therefore it is much more important to know at what horsepower the motor of the treadmill can be operated regularly and continuously.
Treadmills can also be very noisy. If noise is a concern for you then seek out treadmills which have DC motors which are significantly quieter than their AC counterparts.

Options.

When you are testing out treadmill options for purchase make sure you wear exercise clothing and running shoes. Only then you can get the real feel of the workout.
The machine must have a strong frame and be stable.
Check the rails to make sure they are properly secured and you can easily wrap your hand around them.
Are the running path and belt large enough for you to run on.
Is it programmable and can the programs be preset. This is a great way to make your exercise experience more enjoyable.
Is the display easy to read?.
Bottle holders and magazine racks are handy conveniences for daily workouts.

Consider the space required to operate the treadmill comfortably. Measure your space and bring home the dimensions of the unit first. Most exercise equipment looks small on the sales floor but can be too big for a normal sized room. Many treadmills fold up, even if you are seeking a fold up model measure the space you have to house it and buy accordingly.

Using Treadmills for Fitness is a Great Option!.

Stairlifts – Why Should I Buy One

by Weight Loss - November 24, 2018

Stairlifts – What Are They And Why Would I Need One?

Camila Damásio

If there is one constant thing in life, it is the fact that we grow old. In fact, you just might have an elderly family member living in your very own household right now. It is then very important to consider installing stairlifts in the household. This is especially true if your house has two or more floors.

But what exactly is a stairlift?

In its most basic form, a stairlift is a device that has been designed for the purpose of assisting elderly or disabled people to reach higher floors of a household. Also known as a chair lift, simply because the device makes use of a motorized chair that lifts people up and down the stairs of a household. With the installation of stairlifts, people can safely move up and down the stairs, significantly reducing the risks of untoward accidents occurring. Most of these lifts have arm and footrests running on tracks. People that have diseases such as arthritis, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease benefit the most from using these devices. Also great for those recovering from accidents and the elderly with difficulty exercising.

AC vs DC Lifts

In general, there are two stairlift types. The AC stair lift, or the DC stair lift. What are the differences? AC (Alternating Current) units use the regular electric source in the household, and for that reason are a bit more economical. – Drawback is that the Launch and Stop motions are somewhat rougher than the DC (Direct Current) models.

The DC stair lift, on the other hand, because the motor increased gradually its speed, is much smoother. For that reason, more users prefer the DC stair lift to the AC powered unit. DC lifts are battery powered.

If the person using the lift understands the need to recharge those batteries, then this is the best option.

Finally, remember that stairlifts are for the use of those who really need it, not a substitute for those capable of walking up and down stairs !

Weight Loss and Fitness – The unbreakable bond. Use it to your advantage.

by Weight Loss - June 25, 2018

Weight Loss and Fitness – How to benefit from both.

skeeze / Pixabay

If you’ve decided you want to lose some weight (whether it be just a few pounds or a large chunk of your body mass), chances are you’ve done the research on diets, plans, gyms, exercises, and anything that you can find on that subject. You’ve probably seen that most credible sources will tell you that weight loss and fitness are strongly related. If not, that’s what I’ll tell you now.

Something to think about.

If you want to lose weight, you first need to evaluate a few truths. The most obvious is that if you burn off more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. You can either chose to do no “extra” exercise and eat very, very little in order to lose weight, or you can stick to a plan that will burn off enough calories and allow you not to starve yourself. It’s also important to note that overly-decreasing your calorie intake can backfire on you because your body will slow your metabolism down in order to accommodate this adjustment in calorie intake. This will cause you to actually gain weight instead of lose it.

The next fact is that a combination of water and oxygen leads to fat burning. Make sure that you are getting at least a half gallon of water every day. Your body will use this water when you exercise, and cause you to lose weight in a healthy way. Again, you must combine your water intake with some form of aerobic exercise (increased oxygen) for this to work. Choose something that you like and can do on a regular basis like Walking, biking, swimming, yard work, etc. As long as you get your heart rate up a little bit, it’s a good fat burning exercise.

Be consistent.

Finally, consistency is the key when it comes to your weight loss and fitness plan. So many people jump into something quickly with the mindset that they will just keep up the pace for a couple of weeks or a couple of months and then they can go back to their usual life.

Commitment.

In reality, your plan should be a life-long commitment. Even after you lose the weight, in order to maintain your goal weight, you need to eat right and get some activity in. So, pick an activity that you enjoy (or that you don’t mind so much). Walking is one favorite. If you live in the city, you can actually walk part of the way to work, save on gym expenses, and not have to worry about finding time in your day to exercise. If not, no matter where you live, you can probably find the time to take a 20-minute brisk walk around your neighborhood. Bring a buddy along to keep you entertained and you’ll see that the time flies.

The connection between weight loss and fitness is too strong to ignore. So, pick your plan and stick with it for life.

Warm Up Exercises Are Vitally Important

by Weight Loss - November 27, 2012

Warm Up Exercises Are Vitally Important Regardless of Your Fitness Level

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Are you aware of the importance of warm up exercises? Lack of a proper warm up exercises is a main reason for many workout injuries. Don’t be so hasty in going from static to fluid in your workout. It’s not wise to go from zero to 100 and go from sitting to running. A build-up is much better for you for a number of reasons. Read on for more information and some suggestions for warm up exercises as well as for cool down exercises after your workout is done.

Why Warm Up?

Because warming up exercises are designed to help you loosen up your body and help prepare your body for rigorous activities, pain and muscle damage are avoided.

This is even important if you’re an avid exerciser and doesn’t just apply to beginners. Not doing warm up exercises could lead to more pain after a workout and longer time to heal and recover.

Here are some ideas for warm up exercises:

• Stretches – Rolling your shoulders, rolling your head, stretching arms, and reaching with all your limbs, one at a time, can help you make many of your muscles much more receptive to exercise. You’ll find it easier to get going with your workout and you’ll find recovery much easier, too.

• Marching – Marching in place is a good way to get everything loosened up and warm up your muscles, too. Some people do quick jogging on the spot or jumping rope as well.

• Walking on the treadmill, riding a stationary bike at a moderate pace, and using an elliptical machine for 20 minutes before strength training could all be good warm up exercises.

• Yoga could be a great pre-workout workout with many benefits.

You don’t have to stretch and do warm up exercises for half an hour before working out but a few minutes of stretching could make big difference in performance, endurance, and recovery.

Cool Down Exercises

After your workout, don’t forget to cool down. Cool down exercises are about as important as warm up exercises. They help your muscles relax and lower the chances of feeling faint by suddenly stopping, such as with running. Therefore, stretching and moving at a slow pace for 3-5 minutes is a good idea.

Warm muscles perform better and a gradual cool down.

You’ll find more warm up exercises online as well as cool down suggestions, too.

Exercise Bike Workout Tips for Success

by Weight Loss - November 27, 2012

Exercise Bike Workout Tips

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Do you want an effective exercise bike workout?

Here are some tips for you.

Pick a Good Exercise Bike

To begin with, there are quite a few different exercise bikes on the market. You’ll find inexpensive mini bikes and larger and more expensive bikes as well as recumbent bikes. Look at product reviews of exercise bikes to help you choose a good one. Look at models that show you distance traveled, calories burned, and if possible, one that measures your heart rate, too.

Use it Regularly

Many people buy an exercise bike with the goal of regularly doing exercise bike workout routines but the bike winds up sitting in a corner, collecting dust or being used as a clothes horse. Consider whether you’re really going to use it or not. If you aren’t sure that you are, consider buying an alternate piece of workout equipment or better yet – join a gym so you’ll have access to a wide variety of exercise equipment. If you think you’ll use it 2-3 times a week, it could be a good investment

Track Your Progress

Because setting goals is a good way to make sure you get the most out of y our exercise bike workout routines. Hence consider keeping a running total of the amount of calories burned and / or the amount of distance traveled on your workouts. Most models will provide you with a display that tells you these things. If you make it a goal to increase calories burnt or distance traveled weekly, you could see and feel great results from your exercise bike workouts.

Tips to Stay Interested

It can get boring to sit on a stationary bike and stare at the same wall. Make sure you vary your routine to keep your exercise bike workout interesting:

• Move the bike. Move it in front of a window, in front of a tv, etc. You might even want to move it in front of your computer so you can do other things while you exercise on the bike.

• Take it outside. If you can have an indoor exercise bike for workouts and buy a bicycle to do outdoor workouts, even better.

• Take a spin class. Exercise bike workouts in spin classes mimic outdoor conditions and add a great deal of intensity to exercise bike workouts. This could be a good start before you invest in a stationary bike for your home, too.

• Mix it up. If every single workout involves a stationary bike, you’ll have a greater chance of getting bored. Find alternate cardio exercises to blend in with your exercise bike workouts. Consider walking, running, swimming, and aerobics classes, too. Adding strength training to your regimen is a smart idea, too.

In conclusion, use the Exercise Bike Workout Tips offered above and you will see results.

Aerobics Exercises A Fun Way To Lose Weight

by Weight Loss - March 1, 2012

Aerobics Exercises – A Fun Way To Lose Weight

janeb13 / Pixabay

Aerobics exercises help you oxygenate and this type of exercise is a versatile way to lose weight and get fit. To start with, there are so many different options. Take a class with other women and do aerobics together. Or exercise from the privacy of your home with aerobics exercise videos or home exercise equipment. Join the gym and use their equipment, or simply start getting active in your own neighborhood. You could also do a little bit of all of the above.

Choose from many different aerobics exercises so you will not get bored. Aerobics exercises offer you a great way to work out doing different routines, keeping you interested and motivated.

Since many workouts can be boring and repetitive after a few times. The variety of aerobics exercise options however, offer many different methods to lose weight.

In addition to get your heart pumping, help you burn calories, and tone muscles. Other added benefits are, reducing risk of heart disease, lowering your blood pressure, better managing blood sugar issues, helping improve digestive function, and more.

Examples of exercises that might be in your aerobic routines:

Aerobics Exercises – A Fun Way To Lose Weight

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Walking, hiking, running
Swimming, water aerobics
Aerobics classes
Boxing and kick boxing
Rowing
Jumping jacks
Jumping with a jump rope
Skiing
Plyometric Training
Dancing

It’s clear that there are many options to choose from and not all of them are for beginners but even if you start off with low impact and a small amount of aerobics exercises several times a week, you’ll be doing great things for your health.

Whether you take a class for aerobics exercises or just strive to get moving every day. You’ll start to see a difference in the number on the scale, how well your clothing fits, and in your endurance levels. Start off with low impact activity and find that within a few weeks of working out a few times a week, you’ve got more stamina and more energy.

Don’t start off planning to run a marathon. If you’ve got health issues, you probably will want to speak with your doctor before embarking on an aggressive workout plan. Start off small with ten minute intervals of exercise.

Finally, keep looking at different options to keep aerobics exercises as diverse as possible and you’ll soon see and feel the difference.

How To Tone Your Thighs for Great Looks

by Weight Loss - February 29, 2012

How To Tone Your Thighs

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Want to know how to tone your thighs? Thighs are one of those areas of the body that seem to stubbornly hang onto excess unwanted mass. Here are some tips to help you tone up your thighs..

Count Your Steps

Are you walking regularly? Set a daily goal that is progressive so you can increase your walking. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk at your lunch hour, take the dog for a walk, etc. If you can walk daily for 30+ minutes you’ll soon see a difference in your thighs. It’s especially helpful if you can hike with mixed terrain, such as a bit of uphill walking and downhill walking, too.

Cycling

Take a spin class, buy a stationary bike, or ride your bike outdoors. This is a great leg toning exercise that will show up in your thighs.

Join A Gym

How To Tone Your Thighs Join a gym and talk to a trainer who can set up an exercise regimen that focuses on areas you want to reduce. Any trainer will tell you it’s almost impossible to spot reduce but if there is an area that’s giving you a particularly hard time, chances are that a fitness trainer will have good ideas to change up your routine enough to jump start results.

As you get fitter and healthier, you will start to see a difference in stubborn places such as your thighs and belly. There are some great machines in a gym that help you use weights and resistance that will help you in your quest for finding ways to get fitter and for learning how to tone your thighs.

Stretching

Stretching exercises, such as Yoga and Pilates are both very helpful for those of you who want to know how to tone your thighs. And Yoga is easy to do just about anywhere. Yoga can help tone the body all over and improve your balance and stability, making you better able to succeed at your thigh toning efforts. Many people who take up Yoga comment that it’s also a great stress reliever.

Squats And Lunges

Squats and lunges are ideal for those wanting to know how to tone thighs. Do these exercises regularly.

Whichever exercises you choose to help you focus on things, don’t forget to track your progress. It’s not just the number on the bathroom scale that will tell you that you are doing a good job of getting in better shape; use a measuring tape, too, and see how many inches you are around the thighs. Measure weekly and you’ll start to see progress. Remember, just like it’s not only about the scale number, it’s also not only about inches lost, too. It’s also about toning and improving the shape of your thighs, too. It will happen if you keep at it and you’ll see great results with your overall shape.

Learning How To Tone Your Thighs will lead to increased fitness and better looks.

Calories Burned Walking Can Differ With Each Individual

by Weight Loss - December 12, 2011

Calories Burned Walking Change with Every Person’s Activity Level

pasja1000 / Pixabay

Your calories burned walking differ from other people’s. For instance, how much you weigh is a primary factor. How fast and how far you walk will influence the caloric burn rate.

Basically, it is the balance of calories – how much you consume each day versus how many you burn through activity.

Calories Burned Walking In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Fewer caloric intake and high activity levels lead to weight loss.

Therefore, the best scenario is to stick to a healthy low-calorie diet and boost your activity levels.

Understanding Calories and Weight Loss

In order to understand the calories burned walking, you must understand calories themselves. Did you know that 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat? This can bode bad news for you if you decide to indulge in a juicy, thick steak in addition to a plate of Fettuccine Alfredo, a Caesar salad and a decadent dessert. Just one meal could ultimately add a pound of fat to your body – yikes!

Setting a realistic goal of losing one pound a week means that you will need to burn 3,500 more calories than you eat during that week. This could be increasing your walking intensity and distance, eating fewer calories or both. You can safely lose one to two pounds of weight with a combination of increased walking and decreased calories consumed. Counting calories to lose weight can be an effective weight loss method.

How Calories Burned Walking Is Determined

The formula is simple. The distance you walk multiplied by your body weight equals the energy you expend walking. Time is but a minor factor as distance is more important. In addition, the faster you walk the more calories you will burn per mile. If you are new to the “walking to lose weight�? scene, focus more on distance than on speed in the beginning. As the miles become easier, then you can focus on speed. The basic rule of thumb though is walking at an average speed of 3.5 miles per hour, a 140 pound person will burn between 70 to 75 calories. Power walking at a speed of 5 miles per hour, the same size person can burn about 100 calories.

There are several ways you can burn more calories while walking. You can boost the intensity of your walk by using walking poles, wearing a weighted backpack or add movements such as arm pumping or marching. In addition, if you build muscle through weight training, you will lose more weight as muscle tends to burn more calories. Of course, eating a balanced diet with the best nutrition possible benefits you with the calories burned walking too.