Healthy weight loss programs work best when combined with a rigorous, daily exercise routine. The human body was not designed to gain weight except in times of extreme famine. It's the body's way of conserving what few resources may be available when food runs out.
But that process of storing fat has been sent into a diving tailspin with all the new processed foods and bad eating habits that some folks have developed. Obesity is now a growing problem and folks need to stop counting on instant weight loss schemes or the latest weight loss systems and start moving.
Exercise a Vital Part of Effective Healthy Weight Loss Programs
Instant weight loss is a myth. Fast and easy weight loss is only fast and easy if one faithfully sticks to a strict diet and rigorous exercise regimen. Most folks would not call that fast and easy weight loss. Here's a weight loss breakthrough: losing pounds is all about burning more calories than are consumed.
Eating well and exercising will result in weight loss. This a basic and commonly held belief about healthy weight loss programs. The problem arises because not everyone understands the best or most effective program for exercise. There's aerobic, or cardio programs and there's resistance or strength training.
Walking Alone Not Enough for Fast and Easy Weight Loss
Walking can include both cardio and strength training exercise. Granted, walking is not the most rigorous of cardio exercises, and it's certainly not going to provide strength training for the upper body. However, walking is a good place to start when considering all the components of healthy weight loss programs.
Here's the weight loss equation: one pound of fat is equal to about 3,500 calories. So, to lose one pound of fat, a person needs to burn 3,500 calories. In order to lose one pound per week, 500 more calories need to be burned or 500 less calories consumed. Briskly walking for 30 minutes each day burns around 150 calories. That translates to one third of a pound lost per week.
Walking is good, but is certainly not going to deliver fast and easy weight loss. In order to experience a weight loss breakthrough, more intense exercise is needed. Increasing the pace and speed of the daily walk to 90 minutes will increase the number of calories burned to about 450, or about one pound of weight lost per week.
This article is for informational purposes only. The information provided herein is of a general nature and should not be substituted as advice from a qualified medical professional.
Sources:
WebMD.com; Fitness 101: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Exercise (Accessed May 8, 2010)
MayoClinic.com; Walking: Is it enough for weight loss? (Accessed May 8,2010)
MyFit.ca; Best Exercise for Weight Loss (accessed May 8, 2010)
Mark Oehlert - Mark has 50 years life experience (wisdom comes with age, right?) and over 28 years experience writing copy for ads, articles, marketing ...
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