Walking to Lose Weight

Hey all,
Hope you had an excellent week!
So I've been thinking of doing a write up on easy exercises one can do to lose weight and I thought, why not write on Walking!
Walking is one of the easiest ways to lose weight, unfortunately a lot of people disregard the significance of a walking plan. Aside from being easy, it's enjoyable, easy on your joints and one of the safest forms of exercise. It also helps you lose and control your weight, tone muscles and build up your strength and endurance.

So how often should you walk?
If you are a beginner, start with walking 3 days a week for at least 20-30 minutes, gradually increasing the frequency and duration until you are walking for 60 minutes most days of the week.
While it's more fun to walk outside, ir you are like me, and afraid of getting kidnapped, then stick to using a treadmill at home or at the gym. You can make it more fun by listening to music on your ipod or an audio book.

How many Calories can you burn?
This actually depends on your body weight and your walking pace. If you walk at a pace of 4 miles per hour, you can burn the following amount of calories-
120 pound person- 4.7 cals
140 pound person - 5.5 cals
160 pound person - 6.3 cals
180 pound person - 7.1 cals
200 pound person - 7.8 cals
220 pound person - 8.6 cals

Your walk should be painless so if you experience pain or a feeling of heaviness in your chest, jaw, neck, feet, leg or back, please see a doctor and try to describe what happened when it occurred.
Also, if you seem excessively tired for an hour or more after your walk, it means your walk was too strenuous. You should feel exhilarated after a walk, not fatigued.
Equipment
Walking does not require any major equipment and in fact, once you have a pair of sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, you are good to go! Other equipment can be arm or ankle weights, pedometers, heart monitors etc. The key thing is start with being simple!

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