Many people would not think of something as mundane as walking as a viable way to work out. After all, it's a low impact, low intensity, low injury risk way to workout. There's no need for training or special equipment. You know how to do it already - as a matter of fact, you most likely do it every single day.

However, you shouldn't let familiarity breed contempt. You don't need to embark upon an exercise program suited to an Olympic athlete in order to gain some very significant health benefits. There are numerous benefits provided by this simple exercise technique - one of which is weight loss.

Walking can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can lower cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Because it is a weight bearing exercise, it can build muscle and increase bone density. It can raise the operating the operating efficiency of the lungs and heart. Regular walking can also help to reduce the risk of contracting certain types of cancer. It can even help to combat anxiety and depression. Recent studies in the UK suggest that walking as little as eight miles a week can help to combat Alzheimer's disease. As previously mentioned, it can help you to shed a few pounds, get in better shape and feel a whole lot better in general.

That's a lengthy list of potential benefits. It reads more like a publicity campaign for a health supplement or new wonder drug rather than a description of a mundane daily activity! You don't need to "go for the burn" or adopt a "no pain, no gain" approach. You simply need to do a little more walking than you normally do, and continue to do it on a consistent and regular basis, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how rapidly you reap the rewards.

There are numerous opportunities for you to walk a little more. You can fit it into your day whenever it suits you best. One very common piece of advice is to leave your car in the garage and walk to work. If that isn't a practical suggestion for you then take your car but park it in the corner of the lot which is furthest away from the entrance - so that you have a little further to walk. If you travel by bus or subway, then get off a couple of stops early and finish your journey on foot. Climb the stairs instead of using the elevator. Go for a short walk at lunchtime rather than sitting in front of your computer. Walk around whilst you talk on your mobile phone. There's no shortage of ways to build walking into your day.

If you are slotting walking into your daily routine in short bursts, as described above, it can be difficult to keep track of your progress. You may find that a pedometer is a good idea. It will track and display your results in terms of the number of calories burned, the total number of steps taken or the distance covered. This can help to keep your motivation up.

An mp3 player is another good accessory for you to consider. You will find that the time and the miles just fly by when you're listening to your favourite music.

Toning shoes are a recent development in the fitness footwear market, and you may be able to benefit from this. Brands like Skechers Shape Ups Shoes, Fit Flops sandals and Masai Barefoot Technology Shoes all make use of scientifically designed soles which raise the amount of work performed by your lower body muscle whilst walking. This can assist you to tone and trim your lower body - just by walking about.

So, if you want to lose some weight, then walking to lose weight is a very good option. It will also deliver a number of other health benefits (which can be even more important than weight loss).

When the wet weather arrives, stay cool and trendy in a colorful pair of Hunter boots - the wellies that are worn by royalty! The latest range of FitFlops winter boots will give you a free lower body workout, keep you warm - all whilst still being super chic.

Since they first hit the market back in 2007, Fit Flops sandals have proven to be a firm favorite with women everywhere. These sandals are much more than a range of bright, colorful and fashionable summer shoes - they also have the ability to help you to tone and trim your lower body, just by walking about as normal.

They use a specially designed sole which uses materials of differing densities in different areas and which has a special shape.This results in some minor imbalances being introduced during walking. This causes the leg and butt muscles to try to correct for this and restore the body's natural balance.

The end result is that the lower body muscles work a little harder when walking as normal. That's how FitFlops are able to deliver a lower body workout when you walk in them. Clinical trials have shown that muscle activity in the calves is raised by up to 11%, hamstring muscle activity is boosted by approximately 16% and the muscle activity of the buttocks by up to 30% (as compared to walking in conventional fitness footwear).

The opportunity to get a free "workout while you walk" is something that many people will find very appealing. That's no great surprise. Making the time for a visit to the gym in between looking after your family, working and the numerous other tasks that consume your time is easier said than done. As if that wasn't enough to put you off, don't forget that gym membership fees can be costly.

However, it goes without saying that sandals are hardly the ideal choice of footwear beyond the summer months - so new additions to the Fitflops range were introduced based upon customer feedback. Fans of the range must have been over the moon when clogs, winter boots, cosy slippers and, most recently, sneakers were added to the range. Now you can tone up your lower body without your toes turning blue.

Another of the good things about the FitFlops range is that, in contrast to other toning shoes - such as Reebok Easy Tones or Skechers Shape Ups for example - they don't look like exercise footwear. They look very chic and could be worn in a variety of different social situations. Nobody will suspect that you are getting a free lower body workout with every step you take. They'll probably just be jealous that you've managed to find yourself such a trendy new pair of sandals, boots or shoes.

Check out the latest FitFlops winter boots. If you're anticipating wet weather you can still be cool and trendy in a pair of Hunter boots - as worn by royalty!

categories: health,fitness,exercise,weight loss,lose weight,workout,walking,diet,fitness equipment,women's issues,women,uncategorized

There are millions of people who would love to lose weight but who struggle to achieve their goal - it's a lot harder to do than many people imagine. It's hardly surprising that weight loss and dieting is such big business, anything that can make it easier for people to achieve their goal would definitely be gratefully received - and highly valued - by many people.

You can follow any number of special diets. Some of them will undoubtedly be effective - but it's hard to keep motivated when you are hungry. At the end of the day, if you want to lose weight by dieting, then cutting down on the number of calories you consume each day is what's required. The type of food that you eat is pretty much academic - the results of your diet will depend upon a reduced calorific intake.

However, if you wish to lose weight, and ideally to do it as fast as you can, then achieving this by dieting alone may prove to be extremely difficult. The introduction of regular, light physical exercise can be a great help if you want to lose more weight, and to do this much more quickly than by relying on dieting alone to shed those pounds.

A lot of people will be put off at the the very thought of exercise, but the thing to note is that it need not require visiting the gym three, four, or maybe even five times weekly. In fact, it doesn't need to be a high intensity workout at all - although you can do this if you like. Something as easy and simple to do as walking can produce very significant results - and there are a huge number of other health benefits in addition to weight loss.

The key thing is to do a little bit more than you would normally do - and to do this on a regular basis. Regular exercise will increase your body's metabolic rate - the speed at which it burns calories. It's this increase that causes you to burn extra calories all through the day - not only when you're exercising. If you're sitting watching TV, reading a book, doing household chores - then you will use up more calories. Even when you're tucked up in bed, fast asleep, you will burn extra calories. That's what will help you to lose more weight faster.

Walking is a low impact, low injury risk, low intensity exercise technique. You know how to do it already and you won't need any expensive special equipment. You can fit it into your day whenever it suits you best. Finding the time for a trip to the gym isn't necessary - just get off the subway or bus a couple of stops earlier than usual, leave your car in the garage - or park it in a far away corner of the parking lot so that you have further to walk to the entrance, climb the stairs instead of using the elevator, go for a walk during your lunch break - walking opportunities abound.

You can use an mp3 player when you're walking to help the time and the miles fly by. You can monitor your progress by using a pedometer which will display results in terms of distance covered, the number of steps taken or the amount of calories burned. It may help you to keep your motivational levels high.

These days, you can even get special "toning" footwear that will trim and tone your lower body while you walk. Shoes such as Skechers Shape Ups, Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes, Reebok Easy Tones and Fit Flops sandals all use a specially designed sole which makes your leg and butt muscles do a little extra work when you walk.

You'll be surprised and delighted when you see how much faster you lose weight using this approach. You may even find that there's no need to starve yourself or spend money on fad diets after all.

Check out the latest FitFlops winter boots. If you're expecting wet weather you can still be cool and trendy in a pair of Hunter boots - as worn by royalty!

categories: health,fitness,exercise,weight loss,lose weight,workout,walking,diet,fitness equipment,women's issues,fashion,shoes,boots