Walking For Fitness
Saturday, April 12th, 2008 by Carol Subscribe To Our Feed
Unless you’re already very fit, walking for weight loss is a much better fat burning exercise than running for weight loss. It is amazing how the simple act of walking for about half an hour per day every day will increase your level of fitness, improve breathing, lung capacity and cardiovascular health. Although not a high impact exercise, it can be tiring especially if you have decided to walk at a fast pace in which case regular breaks or periods where you slow the pace a little are required.
Taking along a partner can help stop the tedium setting in especially if you never vary your route, which is always a good idea. There are a number of exercises which can be performed using a static machine including rowing, walking, running, stepping, cycling, skiing and even cross training.
If you are someone looking to shed a few pounds then there really isn’t a better alternative than walking as it can be done at almost anytime and anywhere. Of course if you can combine your walking with another activity where other aspects of fitness can be achieved then you will benefit even more.
If you haven’t been exercising for a long time then walking is a good place to start as it fulfils many aspects that are needed to get fir without the huge physical exertion necessary from some other exercise routines. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests, for example, that patients start by walking five minutes a day, then increasing gradually to 30 minutes over several weeks.
If you want to improve your general health and keep fit, or if you want to reduce your weight, walking is a good place to start and has a multitude of health benefits for everyone. Although if you are looking for fitness equipment that will maximize your walking efforts, then a treadmill is the obvious choice.
As far as home fitness equipment is concerned, treadmills are still the most popular and they can be used for running, walking or a gently jog plus there is less impact on a treadmill owing to the cushioning effect. The treadmill works by using a continuous belt that can be adjusted for speed and inclination so it will give the same effect as walking up a hill so the cardiovascular and calorie burning properties of it are excellent.
When you look for a treadmill, make sure it has a powerful motor and good range of height adjustment and has a sturdy feel when you step onto it. There may be many reasons why you prefer to use a treadmill, namely that your neighborhood doesn’t have enough walking challenges and this way you can get all the benefits of walking a variety of conditions without leaving home.
Ultimately it is the convenience of a treadmill that is hard to beat because if even if you only have ten minutes to spare you can use it so it means you can walk at any time you feel like it.
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