Walking for Weight Loss

Running is your best ally in fighting those extra pounds and getting rid of them for good. Not only that, it can also boost your fitness level, reduce stress levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

In a world filled with high-tech sports requiring lots of fancy equipment (golf, bicycling, etc.,) running is a simple way to get fit. Just going outside and running is a great way to get in shape, and it doesn't require much to get started. Just lace up your shoes and go! Below are a few simple suggestions to get started off on the right foot.

Nearly 6 in 10 Americans want to lose weight, but unless one incorporates cardio into their workout routine, shedding off the pounds is something that's easier said than done. This is because cardio helps you reach your target heart rate, which in-turn helps you burn more calories in one setting.

You can't appreciate the term runner's high until you experience it yourself, and once you do, you'll be addicted for life because there is truly no other feeling like it in the world. If you are like many others, you probably see a runner and think they were just born to be fit or you get this overwhelming desire to hit the pavement yourself but get discouraged within the first couple of days. The truth is, anyone can be a runner regardless of weight, age, etc. Oh, and if you think you can't run because you have asthma, you would be surprised at how many runners throw away their inhalers once their lungs get stronger. If you have tried and failed to become a runner, you probably went at it the wrong way.

Finding the motivation and time to exercise is something that is always in the back of our minds. Although many of us would like to just get up and run, it is hard to find time between working, cooking, cleaning, and all the stressful activities of each day. On top of that most of us don't even know where to start. Not all bodies are designed to just get up and run a 5K whenever we want to.

Running and walking are both great exercise and burn calories very efficiently, but in different ways at different rates. Moderate running does burn calories faster than moderate walking and requires less warm-up time to be efficient.  Conversely, moderate walking involves lower orthopedic risks and is less stressful to your body as a whole.  In the end, only you can choose what works best for you.

Walking a mile and getting the best workout in that mile will be different for different people. There are three key factors in a workout designed to reduce fat and increase fitness.  These factors are pace (in miles per hour), angle of climb (from flat to various inclines) and duration of the total walk.

Does walking help you lose weight? How can you lose weight by walking? While walking helps you burn calories and thus lose weight, walking combined with exercises for the upper-body muscle groups may help you get even better results. Recently a new term "weight-walking" has been introduced.

Do you wonder, "How many calories do you burn walking?" or "How many calories do you burn running?" Read on to get the answers.