Want to lose 30 pounds a year without changing a thing about your diet?
All it takes is lot of steps. Walking many steps a day can burn enough
calories to take off 30 pounds in a year.
I first heard about even 10,000 steps when I took a vacation with my
mother last summer. As we left the house that morning for a day of
sight-seeing with my two boys, she clipped a pedometer to her belt.
Periodically throughout the day, she checked it, and as I settled to relax
on a park bench toward the end of the day she remarked, "I'm just going to
walk around the park twice. I only have 500 more steps to go."
The secret is walking. By walking so much steps a day, you can burn as
many calories as you do when you do any of the following:
- Swim for 90 minutes
- Ride a bike for 70 minutes
- Play 10 holes of golf (without the cart)
- Walk 50 blocks
- Play soccer for 90 minutes
- Work for two hours in your garden
- Park at the far end of the lot at the mall and walk to the stores.
- Leave your car at home and walk to work. Or park three blocks
further away in the morning and walk the rest of the way.
- Walk the dog! He'll love you for it.
- Walk up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
- Get up and get it yourself. Instead of asking one of your kids to
fetch something for you, take a little walk. You'll be surprised how much
those little trips add up.
- Go sightseeing. You'll surprise yourself by freshening up your
perspective on your home town at the same time.
- Walk to the store. If you're just running out to pick up milk, leave
the car at home and take a walk.
- Stuck on the phone? Walk and talk at the same time. You can easily do
2000 steps during a 15 minute phone call.
Don't worry about your speed - the idea is to get moving. In fact,
doctors say, if you're puffing too hard to say hi to a friend, you're
walking too hard. Slow down a little. At the ideal pace you should be able
to carry on a conversation, but not belt out a song.
Doing daily a few thousands steps may seem a little daunting at first,
but just keep in mind that a journey of a thousand miles begins with
a single step. Lace up those walking shoes, and let's go!