Well into the 3rd week of our 4-Week Walk for Weight Loss, I realize I’ve learned a few things.
Music Rocks the Walk
It seems that you’re likely to do significantly better with a fitness program if you listen to music while exercising. There’s actually a scientific study to back this up. For some reason, this seems to be extra true for women — I don’t know why, but that’s what the researchers say.
Good Socks Are your Friends
The pair of cheap cotton socks I wore yesterday had a bumpy bit of seam that I might never normally have noticed. Walk a brisk half-hour, however, and all I could think about was the way it rubbed on my toe with every step. No blisters, thank heavens, but a lesson learned.
I Am Lazy
Walking to lose weight, I’ve learned, does work. My jeans are fitting better, and I feel less “winded” when walking up a steep hill.
5 – 10 minute warm-up
1 minute walk at level 8 – 9
3 minutes at level 5 – 6
(repeat fast/slow cycle x 3)
5 – 10 minute cool-down
stretching
But I am lazy.
I want instant results.
Heck, what I really want is the Good Fitness Fairy to show up and wave a magic wand — know what I mean?
Doing this daily exercise program, however, has helped me to finally get it through my head that a magic wand ain’t gonna happen! If we want to lose weight, we’re going to have to do it the way that Nature intended:
- Take in less calories and / or
- burn off more calories.
Prevention.com has a nifty little calculator tool so you can find out how many calories you burned while walking. I found that it helps me to decide how much I want to eat that piece of cheesecake… if you figure how much walking it would take to burn off the calories it contains!
Morning Is Prime Time
Well, no, actually… I am definitely not a “morning person”!
But if you can get out for your weight-loss walk first thing in the morning, it helps to set you up for the day. Instead of being tired, as you might expect, the morning walker is more energized throughout the day. Surprising, but true.
Exercising early in the day will also help to make sure that the other demands of the day don’t get in the way. Otherwise, it’s too easy to find yourself at the end of a busy day, kicking yourself because you somehow never found time to go out for that walk.
Been there!