At this time of the year, hard on the heals of festive over indulgence, lots of people tend to make New Year’s resolutions regarding weight loss, increased exercise, diets and getting into shape. Whilst some of these resolutions will be carried out in the long term, the majority of us will lapse back into our old habits by the middle of February.
Sadly, this is very common. Weight loss, and the adoption of a healthier lifestyle, is very much harder than most people think. There are methods of making your weight loss goals more easily obtainable – and they cost nothing to try.
Firstly, don’t set yourself targets which you simply can’t achieve. Nobody is going to turn into a professional athlete overnight. It’s a good thing to have challenging goals – but they also need to be achievable and realistic. There’s no point embarking on some high energy workout if you’re just going to abandon it in a few weeks. You may even do yourself more harm than good if you don’t exercise caution.
The important thing is to do a little bit more than you usually do – but to do it on a regular and consistent basis. You might be surprised at how beneficial something as simple as walking a little more can be.
Walking is a low impact, low injury risk method of exercise which requires no special equipment or training (apart from a stout pair of walking shoes that is). It has a lengthy list of health benefits over and above weight loss – although it is definitely one of the most effective exercises to lose weight that you can do. Regular and consistent exercise, like walking, will help to raise your metabolic rate – which will mean that you burn calories more quickly throughout the day – not just when you’re actively exercising.
Cost can also be an obstacle when trying to adopt a healthier way of life. A walking fitness program, as mentioned earlier, needs no specialised equipment or training and therefore has very little cost attached to it. Neither are there any expensive monthly membership fees to pay.
Time is yet another obstacle for many people who want to exercise more often. This potential problem is also addressed by walking for exercise. There’s no need to get dressed up in Lycra and visit the gym for an hour of huffing and puffin. Walking can be fitted into your day whenever it’s most convenient for you.
If you can manage to slot a thirty minute walk into your daily routine then that’s ideal. However, if that doesn’t fit in with your daily routine, there are plenty of opportunities for you build walking into your day.
Walk to work instead of taking your car. If the distance is too great then just park the car in a far away corner of the parking lot so that you have further to walk to reach the entrance. If you travel by bus or by subway then get off one or two stops before your final destination and finish your journey on foot. Forget the lift and climb the stairs. At lunchtime, get up from your desk and go for a short walk around the block. Every little helps.
So, if you have set yourself the goal of shedding a little weight this year, then why not consider a walking exercise regime. You will be pleasantly surprised with the results and at just how quickly you will be able to both see and feel a difference.
Have a look to see what toning shoes can do for you. If wet weather is forecast you can still be cool and trendy in a pair of Hunter boots – as worn by royalty!