Walking to Lose Weight

Has the "no pain, no gain" theory of exercise chased you back to your easy chair? Are you wondering why something that's supposed to be so good for you has to be so uncomfortable and inconvenient? Take heart! There's an easier way: walking to lose weight.

©2007 Photodisc Walking is a moderate exercise program that is easy to stick with for life.

Many doctors, exercise physiologists, and other experts stress that the key to reaping the health and fitness benefits of physical activity is to choose a regular, moderate exercise program that you enjoy and can stick with for life. After all, an exercise program won't do you much good if you don't follow it.

So what do you choose? Why not pick the activity that you've been doing all your life? Walking, our natural means of getting from one place to another, provides health and fitness gains without the pain.

And because of its unbeatable convenience and safety, this low-impact activity has one of the lowest dropout rates of any form of exercise.

Indeed, when exercise physiologists first investigated the health and fitness benefits of exercise, it was walking, not running, that they studied.

Since then, walking has gained new respect as effective exercise. It is becoming more and more popular as a means to lose and control weight, tone muscles, build strength and endurance, and increase aerobic capacity. This article gives you the tools to get your walking fitness program started. We'll discuss walking and weight loss in more detail in the next section.