Walking

walking

Losing weight can be as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, and that is exactly what I want you to do.

Walking is one of the most under-utilised tools to losing weight, in my opinion. It is not only a great way to burn calories, it is also great at relieving stress and giving you space to think.

All of my recent life decisions have been made during a walk with my wife. When you are at home or work there are so many distractions. Chores to carry out, cats to feed, dishwashers to empty and Facebook feeds to aimlessly scroll through. When we go for a walk it is an opportunity to separate ourselves from reality for a short period of time, and gives us a chance to talk about absolutely anything distraction free. Over the last couple of years, we have made some big decisions, such as buying a house, moving 200 miles away, getting cats, starting this business, planning our wedding and even deciding to have children (this one is still a work in progress).

Walking isn’t always considered exercise. When you think of exercise in your head, it usually involves being hot and sweaty with that sicky feeling lingering. By adding walking in your daily routine, you will increase your activity level and help burn loads of calories along the way. All of your daily tasks that are not considered part of exercise are called NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) I cover it in more detail here . NEAT makes up a huge portion of the amount calories burned throughout the day. They can be the difference between losing body fat and remaining the same.

With desk jobs and full-time sloth being more of a common job title, it can be tough to ensure you are moving enough (let along walking). You must make conscious decisions and go out of your way to stay active. Don’t sit in your chair at work and wish you were slimmer and healthier, get off your butt and walk your way towards it.

walking

Top tips to increase your steps

Take the long cut – This is exactly like the shortcut, only the complete opposite. You know the quickest way to walk to the shops from your office, now I challenge you to find the longest (and still get back to office in time). Don’t settle for the easy route, take the longest one or the one with the most steps.

Walk and talk – Get your friends, colleagues and boss involved. At every opportunity, turn a meet up into a walk. A work meeting, a friendly catch up or take out coffee, these can all be turned into a walk.

Bring your friends – Having support within any activity will always boost your adherence. Get your friends and family involved in your walks and challenge each other on your step count. I know FitBit has a feature built in for this.

Make a habit – Everything is tough to do if you consciously have to think about it. That is the reason your brain makes habit, to clear space for more important decisions. If you walk after lunch every day, it no longer becomes a conscious decision and becomes a habit. The walk becomes routine and non-negotiable.

Set a time – Everyday block out a section of your day to carry out a walk. I always like to walk as soon as I get home from work. I get changed into my walking boots, put my phone day, rally my wife out of the door and walk round the block.

Now is the time for action! Grab your walking boots or old shoes and find some nice walks near you. Explore your local area and meet some people with similar interests. If you want to find out how I implement walking into my fat loss programs, fill in the form below and I will call you straight back.

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