Staying Active:
Can Walking Really Help You Lose Weight and Become Healthier?

You bet. Walking can promote weight loss and overall better health and it’s easy to start and  there is little or no cost to begin a walking program. In fact, it’s as easy as walking in your neighborhood or going out for a walk on your lunch break.

What can you expect to lose using walking as your cardio program? It will depend on your metabolism, your height, weight and how many calories you consume in a day.  The amount of calories you will burn when you walk will also depend on how long you walk and at what pace you walk. For example: A daily 10 minute walk probably won’t help you lose weight but walking for an hour, 5 days a week, at a quick pace (2-4 mph) will help you burn a lot of calories.

Not only can you expect to expend calories from a walking program, you  will most likely will see an improvement in your overall health. You’ll feel better and have a lot more energy.

Everyday Activities That Burn Calories (Yes, they really can!)

According to Kimberly Lummus, MS, RD, Texas Dietetic Association media representative and public relations coordinator for the Austin Dietetic Association in Austin, Texas, in 30 minutes a person who weighs 150 pounds can burn the following number of calories: (everday Health)

Raking leaves = 147 calories
Gardening or weeding = 153 calories
Moving (packing and unpacking) = 191 calories
Vacuuming = 119 calories
Cleaning the house = 102 calories
Playing with the kids (moderate activity level) = 136 calories
Mowing the lawn = 205 calories
Strolling = 103 calories
Sitting and watching TV = 40 calories
Biking to work (on a flat surface) = 220 calories

Now, couple those everyday activities with some real exercise and you have a chance to burn calories, get healthy and improve your health numbers.

Setting a Realistic Exercise Plan

We know that adding exercise and physical activity to your life is one of the healthiest things you can do at any age. But some people fear that it might be too late to start exercising or
that they don't know how to get started with a workout plan.

First of all, Lighten Up Nashua recommends that you set realistic exercise goals for your level and experience. It's great to be enthusiastic about physical activity, but slowly build up to a solid workout plan, especially if you haven't been active for a long time. Even moderate activity can provide health benefits, but doing the wrong exercises or doing too much too soon, can cause injury or muscle soreness and cause you to quit exercising.

Here's what Lighten Up Nashua recommends:

Determine your individual goals.
Example: I'd like to do 30 minutes of walking a day in 4 weeks’ time. This is a realistic and attainable goal and easily measured. By recording your walking minutes every day, you can slowly increase minutes until you reach your 30 minute goal. By specifying that you’ll reach your goal in 4 weeks, you give a definite time-period to work with.     

Break up your activity time:
You don't have to all of your 30 minutes of activity at once, you can break up your sessions into three 10-minute chunks, as long as they total 30 minutes by the end of the day.

Exercise already part of your daily routine?
If you’re already doing 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity most days, you might consider increasing your activity time, or intensify the level of your workout.

Bottom Line: Time to get moving!

Which Workout Is Right For You?
It is important to select types of exercise that you can physically handle and continue to maintain after you’ve lost those extra pounds. Weight management depends on you being regularly active and sticking with it for the long term.
Quick tips for choosing the right exercise for you

• Choose exercises that you enjoy or try one that might look interesting and fun to you.
• To prevent boredom from doing the same exercise routine each and every day, vary your exercise routine by choosing more than one type of workout.
• Alter the intensity of your exercise workout. For example: you might dance-your-heart out in a Zumba class one day and then the next day, take an extra-long walk.
• Set aside a designated time to exercise every day. If exercise becomes part of your routine, you are more likely to make it a permanent part of your life.
• Choose exercise options that are available to you. In other words; don’t choose to take a class at the gym that may conflict with your daily schedule. You will get discouraged and possibly quit before you really get started.
• If you like competitive workouts, join a sports team at your gym or in your area. You might look forward to the games and forget you are actually exercising.
• If the weather reduces your days outdoors, have an alternative exercise routine available. Make sure you have a couple of exercise DVD’s on hand for a rainy day or utilize the workout videos available here on this page.

It’s important to strengthen your core for everyday tasks as well to develop a flat stomach.
This video can help you make your core stronger.
Core Power

Here’s an interval treadmill workout that will help you maximize your workout and get better results.

How to Burn Calories Faster

Now that you've made the commitment to lose weight and get healthier, we're here to help you burn those calories faster!

Did you know that people with more muscle and less fat generally have a faster metabolic rate, while people with more fat and less muscle generally have a slower metabolic rate? So, that means you have to increase your muscle to fat ratio in order to increase your metabolic rate. And, you guessed it, that means you have to exercise!  But, before we talk about exercise, let's find out what "metabolism" means?

According to WebMd, "Metabolism" refers to your body's systems for using or converting energy.   

This includes breathing, digestion, the building of muscle, and the storage of fat, circulation of blood -- anything that's part of your body's systems for converting energy into an activity you need to live."

Now we're ready to help you burn more calories, faster! Here are a number of ways to increase muscle in order to increase your metabolism to burn more calories:

• Build muscle with this FREE basic strength video - this video will not only increase your muscle but will sculpt your body as well!   

Click here for this muscle building workout.

• Step-by-Step Weight Training Guide from Mayo Clinic that walks you through a multitude of strength-training exercises that will build muscle the right way.

Click here for this strength-training routine.

Walk Whenever Possible

• Walk instead of drive, whenever you can
• Walk your children to school
• Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
• Take a family walk after dinner
• Replace a Sunday drive with a Sunday walk
• Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV
• Get off the bus a stop early, and walk
• Park farther from the store and walk
• Make a Saturday morning walk a family habit
• Walk briskly in the mall
• Take the dog on longer walks
• Go up hills instead of around them

Click here for more physical activity tips.

Is Exercise Really Important For Weight-Loss?

Experts all agree that exercise is important to weight-loss. Sure, anyone can lose a lot of weight if you cut way back on calories without exercising, but physical activity is the key to maintaining your weight-loss. Because no one can sustain an extremely low-calorie diet forever, you are more likely to gain your weight back without exercising. Read more…