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There are many benefits of walking for weight loss:
It's free
It's low-impact
It can be done anywhere
You can do it in a group or solo
If you're starting to walk for weight loss, here are a few great tips to help you out:
1.Walk Tall
Imagine there’s a string attached to you and pulling you up. This helps to keep your body straight and tall, chest open, and shoulders back.
2. Look up
Your head weighs around 4.5kg, so don’t drag yourself down by staring at the ground on your walking for weight loss quest. Cast your gaze forward, so your head is balanced on your neck and spine.
3. Take smaller steps
By keeping your body upright, you will be able to land with your feet directly underneath your body rather – this will help you to walk lightly.
4. Use your arms
Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees, your wrists and hands neither floppy nor rigid and move your arms backwards and forwards slightly across your body. 'A strong-arm motion can burn 5-10% more calories’ and add speed, which will again increase calorie burn. It's a handy hack to walking for weight loss, and one that people often let slip.
5. Use control
Take time to practice walking slower than you would normally, so you can be conscious of whether your footfall is light or heavy, whether your head feels poised on your neck and spine, and whether you can sense unnecessary tension in your arms, shoulders and back. This will all help your walking for weight loss advancement.
6. Nail your foot-strike technique
‘Strike the ground heel first and roll through the step from the heel to the toe, pushing back off with your toe before striking the ground again heel first’. Again, this one will help prevent any injuries that could stop you achieving your walking for weight loss goal.