| Summer Slim Down: Put One Foot in Front of the Other! | |
Part One: Covering the Basics
It's time to get serious and kick our weight loss efforts up a notch, because summer is almost here! No more putting it off until tomorrow! Let's get moving today!
This is part one of our newest article series to focus on walking. This installment, we will take a look at some basic pointers for those of you who haven't had much experience with walking as exercise before, or, you newbies out there who are always on the lookout for some good tips.
Be sure to join us for the next installment when we take a look at some more common issues and questions you'll encounter as you embark on this part of your weight loss journey... by foot!
You've seen her. She's the lady on your street who does that race walking thing every night. She wears bike shorts and a skin-tight tank top with rhinestones down the middle; her hair's in a French twist and she has a full face of makeup on! You have to wonder: Is she going all out for fitness or a fashion show?
Guess what? You can get just as good a workout in your t-shirt and sweats. Plus, think of the time you'll save! Throw on those tennis shoes with what you're wearing right now and you'll have spent half the time getting ready as someone who has gone to the trouble of putting together a coordinated spandex ensemble! The most important thing is to think of yourself first. Dress for comfort and you won't be sorry. After all, the neighbors won't mind what you're wearing... they've seen you getting your paper in your bathrobe!
For the gals only: Be sure that once you work your workout up from a stroll to a higher intensity that you have a sports bra on hand. Pull it on when you're going to be pumping up that walking routine. You may think you don't need a sports bra at first, but this super-supportive under garb is not just for joggers and athletes. When you introduce "bounce" to your walk (which you probably don't have in your day-to-day gait) you put stress on your chest! Not wearing a sports bra can cause ligament damage, and that, ladies, we do not want! Set your sports bra aside with your t-shirt and sweats and you'll remember to put it on first, then you'll still be out the door in seconds flat.
A great way to stay motivated on your new walking routine is to keep a log of your workouts. You may even want to provide yourself with rewards like a gold star on the weeks you walk at least four times, or, keep a chart on the wall showing your progress. You really will be surprised at how much the little things will help to keep you going (especially when the scale isn't quite moving yet!). Make it a habit to record how long you've walked, what road or path you took, and -- if you have a monitor -- the speed at which you walked. You can use a calendar (like a day planner), or, a plain notebook will work just fine.
Keeping a log will also provide you with a history of your walking workouts so that you can determine whether or not you are progressing as you need to be. Look at the last few weeks. Are you still exercising at the same intensity level or walking for the same length-of-time you were six weeks ago? Hey, it's time to kick it up a notch! You may see your weight do a "flatline" if you stay at the same pace for a month or so. Add on five or 10 minutes to each workout. Go an extra block today. Push yourself to make it up that hill instead of turning back around tonight. It will make a big difference in the long run!
