One of
the reasons that I love walking so much is that it melts my fat and it keeps my
weight steady. I supplement with strength and stretching but nothing beats
walking to get into your fat burning zone.
I fell in love with walking as a young
mom-to-be. My husband and I walked every night. After I had the baby, I kept on
walking. I lost every single bit of extra pregnancy weight with no dieting
after that pregnancy and two more. It was not overnight but it I always got
back to where I started.
I still use walking to this day as my primary
form of exercise. If I knew a better or quicker way to keep my middle trim, I
sure would let you know. However, walking gets at stubborn fat that I cannot
lose any other way.
What Happened When I
Wasn’t Walking
I had a few years when I was not walking on a
regular basis. Over a period, I gained about 30 pounds and it seemed permanent.
Therefore, I had resigned myself to being heavier and bigger. Somehow, I had
forgotten about my secret weapon.
As I moved into a different stage of my life,
I turned back to walking and I have transformed my body again. Eight years at a
desk job had left me overweight and flabby. I got serious, as in, I did it
almost daily, and my fat began melting away.
What the Experts Say
If you go online, you will find qualified
people that say low intensity exercise is the way to burn fat and others that
say it is misleading and that high intensity is the way.
To some extent, I say, whatever you will do
consistently is THE way.
However, walking, year after year, remains
unanimously a favorite with doctors. If you look back over the past couple of
hundred years, walking has always been considered an excellent form of
exercise. There have been a lot of exercise trends come and go, but walking
still tops out as a favorite.
When you have been exercising as long as I
have, you see many trends come and go. Jazzersize, high-impact aerobics,
low-impact aerobics, running/jogging, yoga, Pilates, and all sorts of other
types. I have enjoyed several of these and think we should all have variety in
our workouts. However, only ONE exercise seems to be recommended by almost
everyone—and that is walking.
Walking IS NOT, the
runner-up exercise for losers that cannot do REAL exercise!
I tend to gravitate towards easy, low-stress,
low-intensity methods. I am not knocking it, but you will not find me at your
local Cross Fit place. I do not lift heavy weights. In addition, I do not run.
I am not lazy. However, I approach my exercise
differently than most people. To me it is just as important that I enjoy an
exercise, that it releases tension from sitting over a computer, and that it
relieves mental stress. I ask a lot from my exercise!
While I may not be able to do pull-ups or
handstands, (yet) I do maintain a healthy weight range, functional fitness, and
stable energy through my day. My slow and steady walking is one of the most
important components to my overall fitness activities.
Rediscovering the Fat
Burning Zone
Several years ago, I learned about getting
into the “fat burning zone.” The idea was that if you exercised at a moderate
rate for a longer period; then you would tap into your fat reserves. It made
sense, it seemed to work for me, and I did not doubt it.
Recently, as I have learned about high
intensity interval training, I have read articles that seem to say that long
and slow walks/workouts just do not do what they promise. Alternatively, that
they do melt fat but not as much as in other workouts.
I cannot scientifically rebut any of that. I
just know that I am at my slimmest and fittest when I walk almost daily.
Period. I do believe that you can get into a fat burning zone through
walking.
Let us face it. Most of us do not need to be
at an elite athletic status. We do not have to have a six-pack to be healthy.
We want to feel good, look good, and be able to go about our day easily.
However, we do not need to look like we are a model for a fitness magazine.
So, if you like walking, then enjoy it and
begin to reap the benefits.
Why Walking Helps You
Melt Your Fat
Walking does not Require Lots of Willpower: An enjoyable walk does not tap into your
willpower reserves. When you look forward to something, you do not have to use
willpower or motivation to get yourself to do it. That is why I always keep my
pace relaxed and steady. Walking IS enjoyable. I think people are stressed
about the time factor perhaps, but in general walking has always been
considered a very pleasant activity.
I love it so much that it never feels like a
chore or an exercise. I also do some higher intensity workouts, push ups, and
stretching. I need my willpower for those. Walking though, is my treat.
You Get in the Fat Burning Zone.
I’m not
ready to give up on my idea of a fat-burning zone! To get into a fat-burning
zone, you have to exercise long enough to get into the zone and stay there for
enough time to actually burn some fat. 45 to 60 minutes is ideal for this and
that is why walking is ideal.
I do not measure my heartbeats or anything
like that. I try to walk faster than a stroll but I am not trying to speed walk
either. I have read 60 to 70 percent exertion will do the trick. Some days I am
faster than others are. Trust your body to guide you to a speed that is perfect
for you. Remember, enjoying it and being stress free are important components
to a walking program.
Lower intensity workouts are good for the body
as part of your overall fitness program.
I do
not depend on walking to meet all my fitness goals. However, I cannot meet my
goals without it. Living in Houston, I feel and look my fittest through fall
and winter when I can easily walk for an hour a day. During summer when my
walks are shorter and less consistent, I put on a few pounds and it shows
around my middle. That is why I call walking my “love handle killer.”
Walking uses fat as fuel.
Fat burning is not spot
specific. Our bodies use fat all the time as fuel. Fat storage, fat
mobilization, and fat burning are complex systems that are hormone-driven. That
is why it is so difficult to lose extra body fat through traditional exercise
and diet advice alone. The idea behind a fat-burning zone is that you get into
that zone about 12 minutes into your workout and then you stay there for 35–40
minutes.
Again, I cannot say with
100% certainty, that this is true. However, I love the visualization and the feeling that
I am burning fat as I walk. I did read recently that
doing something higher intensity a couple of times a week in addition to
walking makes fat burning even more effective. That seems to be my experience
as well.
Are you worried about
spending the extra time?
To be able to enjoy working at a lower intensity you have to
work out longer. That totally goes against our modern ways! We want everything
to be quicker and more intense. I almost feel guilty saying, take an hour, a
whole hour, and go for a walk. Who has time for that?
While it is
counter-intuitive, by taking time for yourself and your body, you reduce
stress and energize
your body, which in turn helps you be more efficient with the
rest of your time.
How Much Time do You
Need to Spend Walking?
I recommend that you walk for about an hour 5 or 6 days a week.
That is an important distinction since many recommendations say 30 minutes, 3
times a week. I do not see a big difference unless I am outside walking at
least 5 days a week for 45–60 minutes each session.
Get Into Your Fat
Burning Zone with Low Intensity Walking
If Walking had a fan page, I would be its biggest fan. I had a
boyfriend who once said, “Your solution to EVERYTHING is either go for a walk
or give up gluten.”
That has not changed much. I believe walking really does help
heal our bodies, mind, and spirit. As Hippocrates said many years ago
“Walking is man’s best
medicine.”
