10 steps to getting healthy and losing weight. #1, walking.

One of my readers asked for a list of 10 steps to good health. I provided it, but now I want to break each of these items down and give you more useful details. So here’s step 1, walking.

Yep, walking was the first and best thing I did to get back in shape. At the time, I knew very little about fitness or health. So when I first started out, I tried jogging. That proved to be a huge mistake but that’s a topic for a different day. Rather than beat myself up over the jogging, I simply started to walk. I set myself a goal of 30 minutes of walking every single day and I’ve kept that goal for the past 3+ years.

Why Walk?

Walking is the best exercise because it’s so easy. It requires no equipment other than good shoes which you probably already have and it can be done by almost anyone, even those who are overweight. There’s no learning curve with walking as there is with gym workouts. There’s also very little risk of injury which means no unexpected setbacks. Walking can be done at any time or place. Even at work you can take a quick break to walk. Basically, walking is the exercise everyone can and should do.

Benefits

Walking doesn’t burn as many calories as true cardio and it doesn’t build muscles like weight training. So in pure physical terms, walking isn’t as beneficial as cardio or weight training. However, walking does have some benefits. First, it’s a good way to raise your overall energy level. Try this after lunch when you feel like slipping into a food coma. Simply get out and walk for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll feel less tired and ready to get back to work. Walking also burns some calories and strengthens the leg muscles.

However, the best benefit of walking is simply to get somebody into the mindset of doing something physical. When I started walking I thought of exercise as boring. Being physically active was something I did because I had to do it, not because I wanted to. Walking changed all that. When I walked, I would explore the neighborhood around my house. I would discover new shops and restaurants that I didn’t know existed. I would listen to podcasts on my iPod and learn things I didn’t know before. Best of all, I found out that physical activity can be a fun social activity.

I started inviting friends on my walks. It was usually two or three of us walking for about 30 to 45 minutes. I quickly realized that walking was just as good as hanging out at home. In fact, it was better. Rather than sitting at home watching a movie, drinking sodas and eating chips, we were outside walking. We were talking, learning from and about each other all while being physically active. I think this is the most important lesson I learned from walking and why I would rank it as the number 1 step for getting back in shape, because it taught me that being fit can also be fun.

How To Start?

Walk out the door. Yep, it’s that easy. Just go and walk. Now if you’re the kind who has trouble with mild weather like snowstorms, then find an alternate place to walk. Many malls in snowy areas will open early to accommodate walkers. You can join a gym and walk on a treadmill. You can even pace around your backyard I suppose. Whatever it is, keep three simple guidelines in mind.

1. Always go - Don’t make any excuses for why you can’t go. I don’t care if you’re tired and I don’t care if your feet hurt. You’re tired and your feet hurt because you weigh too much my friend and walking will help that. 30 minutes of walking each day, if you can’t even commit to that then you may as well stop now.
2. Bring a friend - Make it a social activity. You’ll be more committed and less able to make excuses if you’ve invited a friend along.
3. Make it fun - If you can’t bring a friend then bring an iPod. Stop at interesting places like shops you’ve never seen before. Chat with the people you meet along the way. Heck, if you find a good restaurant you never knew existed, stop and grab lunch. Walking isn’t about pure exercise, it’s about getting you off your ass and into the fit mindset.

That’s it, that’s all you need to do. Is your health worth 30 minutes a day? Is being able to watch your kids grow up worth 30 minutes a day? How about being able to play with your grandkids instead of just sitting on a bench and watching them play around you? Is all that worth 30 minutes a day? It better be or else why are you here reading this site?

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