Benefits Of Fitness Walking

Fitness walking is one of the more consistently popular ways of getting in shape for men and women due to the low impact nature of walking and here, you can learn about the benefits of fitness walking. Fitness walking is one of the safest methods of working out for all ages and carries with it many benefits for the entire body. 

1. Weight loss benefits abound for the fitness walker. For the average person of approximately 170 pounds, even a moderate pace of 2 miles per hour can translate into 180 calories burned in an hour. The fitness walker who has made their way to a 12 minute mile or 5 miles per hour can safely quadruple their calorie burn to 480 plus calories in 60 minutes. In other words, one power walk a day could translate into a pound of fat burned off in a week with walking alone. 
2. Cardiovascular benefits travel arm and arm with weight loss when it comes to fitness walking. When the body is shedding calories, the heart is pumping, and the lungs are working at full force delivering fresh oxygen to the muscles. With consistent fitness walking, full cardiovascular benefits will make themselves known through lower blood pressure, a consistent resting heart rate, and the presence of higher energy levels. 
3. Muscle sculpting benefits are also a part of fitness walking. Even when hills and valleys are not part of a walker’s terrain, the calves, glutes, thighs, and arms are working hard to power the body at faster paces than a leisurely stroll typically entails. The consistent, high-repetition activity of fitness walking can create seriously toned muscles over a few short months.
4. Fitness walking can be a great stand-alone method of exercise or it can be a stepping stone to jumpstart weight loss before transitioning into other workout programs. Fitness walking will help the avid practitioner lose weight, increase their cardiovascular capacity, and tone muscles while participating in a relatively safe and low impact activity.

Source:

Smith, Kathy, and Susanna Levin. Walkfit for a Better Body. New York: Warner Books, 1994.