Walking can help us to lose weight

We now know how much activity, and what level of intensity, we should be working towards to make a difference to our quality of life. Any activity counts: washing windows; cleaning the car; cutting the grass; or going for a walk.
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise there is and is suitable for most people.
Walking programmes can help us to lose weight, increase bone density, reduce blood pressure, etc. The majority of the research recommends that people build up their walking to most days of the week, at a moderate intensity, for up to an hour at a time. Whether this is better for weight loss when done in one bout, or accumulated throughout the day, is still being debated; however, some research suggests that three short sessions throughout the day is just as beneficial as one long session. Also, carrying out resistance exercises such as step ups, squats, modified press ups, etc throughout your walking route will help to create more lean muscle tissue, which is more active at rest and will therefore help burn off more calories. This type of walking is often referred to as 'power walking' or 'activity walking'. Discuss this option with your local exercise professional or personal trainer.
Tips for using walking to aid weight loss/improve health

•Remember if you are going to embark on a new exercise regime, discuss it with your doctor beforehand.
•Keep safe when you walk. Wear bright coloured clothes, walk in well-lit areas, preferably with a friend, or tell someone where you are going and when you hope to return. Consider taking a mobile phone with you.
•Wear comfortable loose layers of clothing so that if you get too warm you can peel off some layers. Also wear sturdy walking shoes or cross trainers. Your local sports shop will be able to advise you on these.
•As with any exercise remember to start off slowly and build up your distance and speed of walking over time.
•Remember to always include a warm-up and cool down with each walk - it does make a difference.
•Take some water with you and drink small sips throughout, and consider taking a snack such as a banana or oat cakes (for emergencies, depending on the duration of your walk).
•Why not team up with some of your work colleagues or a walking buddy, to help keep each other motivated?
•Keep a record of how far you have walked, how long you walked for and how you felt at the end. This logbook will help to keep you motivated.
•After a period of time consider varying your walking routes. As you progress, include variations in walking speed, or introduce a small hill to help keep you interested and challenged. Remember, your body will adapt to the exercise and your fitness will improve, so in order to keep improving you must continuously 'push' your body just that little bit more. For example, if you walked for 15 minutes on four days last week, this week you should try to walk for 18 minutes on four days during the week.