Can walking help you to lose weight? Well your probably thinking the same as me, it is a form of exercise and if your following a sensible diet and doing a moderate amount of walking it should help you to lose weight. But how about learning how to walk to lose weight? Yes you read that right; you can now learn how to walk in order to lose weight, tone the body and get fit at the same time.
To learn more on how to walk to lose weight here is an interesting article I came across on Telegraph.co.uk
Learn How To Walk To Lose Weight
“Toes wide! Absorb and show! Lengthen your stride! Hips stable but relaxed!” cried Hall, a neat 44-year-old with a bottom that made Pippa Middleton’s derrière resemble a kilo of lard crammed into a string shopping bag.
“Shoulders loose and symmetrical! More air between those legs!”
In theory it’s about realigning your posture and firing up your internal muscles, around which the bigger, external muscles then “shrink-wrap” themselves.
In practice, it’s a physical oxymoron, not dissimilar to patting your head and rubbing your stomach while performing on stage in a burlesque club.
And as we all stumbled around the lawn in an unintentional re-enactment of the Ministry of Silly Walks, it became clear that in order to get the hang of this “intelligent” exercise technique we would need to engage our brains as well as our bodies.
“By using the right walking method, you can tone up your legs and bottom, slim down your waist and even get rid of those rolls of back fat that appear under your bra straps,” claimed Hall. Back fat? Perish the thought. I had no idea what she was talking about, but seeing as I was there already, I thought it churlish not to join in.
I was one of about 40 people, spilt into two groups; the youngest was 18, the oldest 74. Coincidentally, they were all women, including an accountant, a physiotherapist and an intensive-care nurse.
But Walkactive can have even more striking results for men, reducing middle-age tummies and reinstating those V-shaped torsos turned to (Tele) tubby U-shapes after years of sofa surfing.
As it was, we were all sizes and proportions, some fitter than others but all of us united in a desire to put walking at the forefront of our fitness.
“Walking is a sociable activity that you can take up at any stage of life and incorporate into your daily routine,” said Hall. “You don’t have to join a gym and, to be honest, three exercise sessions a week at the gym won’t be anything like as effective as walking actively every day. You also get fresh air and get to enjoy the changing seasons.”
Walkactive starts with the feet, which most of us tend to slap onto the ground without thinking about it too much. Instead, we were told to focus on having “active” feet; striking with the heel then rolling through the feet and pushing off with the toes.
Then we were shown how to lift the pelvis and translate that into a long torso. Unlike the comedy clenched buttocks of power-walking, Walkactive was like doing pilates on the move; there was a feeling of length and strength and fluidity. Although it looked effortless, it felt effortful, but pleasantly so.
“Start walking and gradually pick up speed until you involuntarily break into a jog. This is known as your break point,” said Hall. “From this point, resume your walking pace. You should feel as though you’re walking with purpose, faster than usual, and be slightly out of breath – this is your optimum walking pace.”
Hall, a diet and fitness expert who has a master’s degree in sports science from Loughborough University, enjoyed a three-year residency on ITV’s breakfast show This Morning and has written 14 books and produced DVDs demonstrating her Walkactive regime. Full article here
So what are your thoughts? Are you ready to dust off your walking shoes? Learning how to walk to lose weight does sound like an art to perfect and I’m guessing that after the initial training period it’s an exercise that can be done at any time and wont cost you a penny, plus the added advantage of the outdoors.
Have you heard of anyone doing this or maybe you’re already walking to lose weight. I would love to know more so please comment below and if your liking the article give it a thumbs up by clicking on one of the social media buttons
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