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Can walking truly create appreciable fat loss?

One of the most common forms of activity and exercise routinely recommended by national health organizations across the country,such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, is walking. On the other hand, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) makes the following recommendations:

1) a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day most days of the week, or

2) a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity three days each week, plus

3) resistance, strength-building, and weight-bearing activities two days per week.

Who is right, and is it happening?

When measured by effectiveness, real-world experience shows that the CDC most closely hits the bullseye. The vast majority of exercisers who successfully lose body fat and improve their health consistently perform the recommendations provided by the CDC, at a minimum. This was emphasized quite clearly in 2007 when the American College of Sports Medicine explained that the general population would receive greater health benefits (and more dramatic weight loss) by exceeding the minimums previously published.

So, is walking enough? Experience, the CDC, and the American College of Sports Medicine emphatically say no!

Walking is, by far, the best way to get started with an exercise program, but don’t be fooled into thinking that it is the ultimate solution which will allow you to achieve the fat loss goals you are seeking. When starting a program, walking is valuable for safely building strength in the ligaments and tendons that support our body. Once a duration of 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking has been achieved, however, it is time to kick it up a notch and increase the intensity.

After a 30 minute foundation of walking has been laid, intervals with jogging and walking can be used by most as an excellent way to capture the CDC’s minimum 20 minutes of vigorous activity. A ratio of 1 minute fast jogging or running for every 2-3 minutes of walking is a great way to start the much more effective form of cardiovascular conditioning known as interval training.

The final question remains: is exercise even happening?

Throughout the United States and in most Westernized countries, the question is answered negatively. Obesity and obesity-related diseases and death rates are at an all-time high, even though the science and knowledge behind successful fat loss mechanisms are at their height. More research and real-world experience exist right now than ever before, and all of that information is widely available on the internet, often free of charge. Yet, even the appropriate MINIMUM amount of exercise is not being accomplished, whether it is something as simple as walking or an activity that is much more vigorous and productive.

At the end of the day, it comes down to your choices regarding the use of the same 86,400 seconds we are all given, whether or not you are doing any activity at all, and whether you are doing a lot more than just walking.

Fitness walking have become more and more popular the last few years. From the aerobic trend to lifting weights in the gym, it seems that fitness walking has become one of the more popular forms of staying and getting in shape in the 2000’s. And sure, it’s easy to do; fits the beginner exerciser as well as the more athletic one. It can be done almost everywhere; all you need is some comfortable clothes and a good pair of shoes. The Hollywood celebs does it; the mom next door does fitness walking.

If you’re eager to loose weight, a really effective way to go, is to walk half an hour before breakfast in the morning. The calorie burning is at it’s highest in the morning, and at that time the body also burns fat, not muscle. That might be your easiest way of loosing those pounds, just to start walking. And a great way to start the day. Just put on you’re favourite radio station, audio book or music in your Ipod and get out there!

If you want to fuel up your fitness walking there are a couple of ways that I’ve tried and really liked. Heard of the Masai Barefoot Technology Shoes? Invented by the engineer Karl Muller, who suffered from severe back- and neck pain. He did some research on the Masai people, who are famous for excellent posture and no back problems, even though carrying water and equipment for miles. Karl Muller found out that walking barefoot on uneven surfaces was keeping them in such good shape. He started to develop a shoe that could imitate that way of walking, kind of like building in nature in the shoes. And he seemed to succeed, the so called MBT shoes has become really popular and extended research from health institutes all over the world proves that these shoes really do work. They increase calorie burning, improves posture, helps back-, hip- and neck problems. If you fuel up your fitness walking with a pair of MBT shoes, you will see results before you know it.

Is there anything more to do to get your fitness walking to be really effective? Well, heard of Nordic walking? This way of exercising, that includes a pair of walking sticks, is a popular way of fitness walking that started out in Scandinavia. Basically you just do the fitness walking, adding a pair of walking poles that looks like skiing sticks. They increase energy burning and heart rate, and can improve the calorie burning with up to 25%! The poles are not especially expensive (from 15$ and up) in opposite to the MBT shoes, that has a price that can be a bit eye watering at first ( from about 200$). The MBT’s are well worth it’s price though, and if you invest in both of these, you will have a full equipped gym, doing a full body workout as you do your normal fitness walk. It’s not hard to do, cheaper than your gym card or any of those fitness equipments piling up in your wardrobe, and it’s safe. Takes no private teaching, just a bit practising and you will be on your way!

Interested in more info on Masai Barefoot Technology? Learn about models and prizes, research and more, please The Mbt Shoes Site