How To Plan A Walking Program For Weight Loss

Do you want to learn about how to plan a walking program for weight loss? The American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderate level exercise on most days of the week for 60 to 90 minutes. One of the exercises that you can do is walking. It isn’t enough, however, to just walk around leisurely when you feel up to it. You must plan your walking as you plan other important events.

1. Look at your schedule to determine when you can walk. You can do all of your walking in one session or you can break it up into multiple sessions each day—just be sure the total time you walk is 60 to 90 minutes on most days of the week.
2. Plan time to stretch before and after your walk. Stretching helps to warm up and cool down your muscles.
3. Find a place to walk. You can walk around your neighborhood, at the park, on the beach or anywhere that you feel comfortable. If you choose to walk outdoors, find an indoor place to walk so you can still exercise in inclement weather.
4. Make intervals your friend. Interval training increases the amount of calories you burn. When you walk using intervals, you walk at a slow to moderate pace for two minutes then increase your speed for one minute. Continue this cycle throughout your walk. You can use longer or shorter intervals if desired.
5. Vary the terrain you walk on. Walking on hills or on different surfaces can help your workout to be more effective. Walking on sand, for example, will cause you to work harder than walking on concrete.
6. Put your walking gear out before bed. This reduces the amount of time you will spend getting ready to walk. Seeing your workout gear laid out can also help you to stay motivated.