Lose 10 Pounds Walking on the Way to Work
12 Weeks to Fitness!
Bring on the new year with a fitness challenge that won’t let you procrastinate due to the costs or equipment involved. Good old walking is just as effective as any other fancy forms of exercise when it comes to losing weight and is also great for your overall health. Join DotComWomen’s fitness challenge and lose 10 pounds walking on the way to work. Before long, you will feeling the positive effects from walking: increased energy, strength and alertness, decreased stress and weight. So plan with a friend or better still, gather a group of like minded friends and start walking!
The Program: 12 Week “Walking for Weight Loss” Challenge
This program is perfect for beginners. But before you start, read these tips.
• Check your heart rate using the graph given below.
• If you have any medical condition that might be affected by exercise, check with your physician before starting the program.
• You can do all your walking at once or in chunks. You can benefit even if you exercise 10 minutes at a time. The benefits are cumulative.
• Be sure to use adequate sun protection.
• Drink water before heading out and every 10 minutes while walking.
• Enjoy the spring sunshine but be sure to use adequate sun protection and to stay hydrated.
• Drink water before heading out and every 10 minutes while walking.
* As you move through each stage of the program, you may find it useful to gradually increase one variable at a time. For example, increase duration, then increase intensity, then alter terrain to add hills.
Stage |
Stage |
||
| Period | weeks 1–3 | weeks 4–8 | weeks 9–12 |
| Frequency | 2–3 times/week | 3–5 times/week | 5–7 times/week |
| *Intensity | light | moderate | moderate to heavy |
| Duration | 15–20 mins | 20–40 mins | 40–60 mins |
| Terrain | flat | combination of flat and hills | combination of flat and hills |
Check Your Heart Rate
For this walking program, your target heart rate should be between 50 and 80 per cent of your maximum heart rate (MHR), depending on the intensity level of your exercise. For example, if you are 35, your target heart rate range is between 90 and 150 (see chart). To calculate your heart rate, take your pulse for 10 seconds; then multiply the number by 6 to get the number of beats per minute.
Light intensity = 50–60% of MHR
Moderate intensity = 60–70% of MHR
Heavy intensity = 70–80% of MHR
Losing weight by Walking: The Stats
To lose weight you need to create a caloric deficit. That means to lose one pound you need to expend 3,500 calories of energy in exercise more than you consume in energy from food. How quickly you will burn calories depends on your walking speed, your weight and the length of time you walk. For example, someone weighing 120 pounds walking at moderate intensity for 30 minutes will burn between 80 and 125 calories. A person weighing 160 pounds walking at moderate intensity for 30 minutes will burn between 95 and 140 calories.
More Tools for Success:
1. Stretching is important for any fitness challenge to work. Do these stretches before and after your walk.
2. Your shoes can make a great difference. Learn how to choose the right walking shoes.
3. Snacking on high energy foods can boost your walking abilities.
4. Stay motivated with our fitness tips for each day of the fitness challenge. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the fitness tip of the day to complete your walking challenge. In case you missed our tips or joined in late, read all tips on the archive page.
