The Fitness World

Power Walking – It’s Silly But It’s A Safe Way To Lose Weight

 

I’m not a kid anymore.
My knees hurt a lot more than they used to. My feet are the same way. And my shoulder…God, my shoulder. I don’t think I can ever bench again. I’m not exactly old, but I sure can’t put my body through the kinds of workouts I endured in my 20′s.

Now I’m coming into my 40′s and I need a way to lose weight that’s not going to make me feel worse than I already do. That’s why I’m taking plain old walking more seriously as a safe exercise for burning fat and toning muscle. So far I’ve lost 14 pounds and had zero injuries, so yeah walking’s legit.

I Used To Enjoy Running, Lifting, And Biking But Not Walking

Yeah, I used to enjoy those more strenuous activities, but It doesn’t seem like a good idea for me to try to jump into those activities today. I’ve had too many injuries over the years, and I’ve added too much weight to play around with the high-impact stuff.

That kills me, because I always thought of intensity as being the most important aspect of an effective fat loss program, but when you’re getting older and your body doesn’t just bounce back like it used to, you have to think more realistically. You have to think, “Safety.”

So I’m walking.

I didn’t really enjoy walking that much when I was younger. When you’re 20, walking is simply something you do in between 100m sprints or when you’re buying groceries. But knee, foot, shoulder and back pain has a way of making you adjust your mindset and take on a new set of priorities.

Enter: Power Walking

As it turns out, walking can be really easy, but it doesn’t have to be. You can burn a lot of calories in a simple 30 minute power walking workout
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The key is sustaining an increased pace for the entire workout. It’s harder than it looks, and I promise you you will sweat.

I mean…you will really sweat if you keep up the pace.

You can take a 2-hour leisurely stroll if you want to, but if you’re looking to lose fat with 30 minutes per day or less, then you will want to push harder and do a real power walk to boost your metabolism. This faster pace is still safe due to the low-impact nature of the exercise. Below are 10 tips to help you get the most out of your routine.

Top 10 Tips For An Effective Power Walking Workout

1. Go slowly for the first 5 minutes to warm up your muscles and joints.
2. Don’t feel guilty about stopping for a minute and stretching out or massaging a sore hamstring or calf. Pushing through those pains is kid’s stuff, and you’re not a kid anymore.
3. Find a walking buddy who you can depend on to show up several times per week. But if she’s the type to make excuses and skip workouts, that could rub off on you, and you’d be better off on your own. Walking groups can be a great alternative to individual buddies, becausesomebody’sgot to show up, right?
4. Walk your dog. He’ll love it.
5. Walk your husband. He’ll love it too.
6. Bring a water bottle in case you get thirsty. Plus, having that in your hand can give you something else to focus your attention on when negative thoughts start to come. You now what I’m talking about.
7. Buy a pair of quality running or power walking shoes at a specialty store not at the mall. The salespeople will be able to help you find the right shoe for your body. Did you know that the pain you feel in your lower back all day could actually be caused by wearing the wrong shoe? That’s no lie.
8. When you need a day off, take a day off. Don’t fool yourself and go out for a low-intensity “recovery workout.” If you’re 40+ years old and 40+ pounds overweight, your feet will need days off.
9. Use the last 5 minutes as a cool down. Slow your pace, lengthen your breaths, and stretch out your arms a little. If you push the pace right up to your doorstep, you will crash so hard when you go in and sit down. Your body needs time to bring your blood pressure down and get back towards normal.

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