Fitness Friday-- Walking, My secret weapon

As you probably know, I was part of a 10 in six program last spring.  I had been eating better and exercising a ton but not really seeing results until I did two things. First, I got really serious about eating clean and second, I started power walking every evening.
     Generally, if you want to lose weight I wouldn't recommend walking.  Walking at a slow pace for 30 minutes is only going to burn around 80 calories.  That's  a handful of nuts..or a couple apples in burned calories. Speeding up to a 4.0 mph pace (15 minute miles) will burn about 185 calories in a half hour or around 370 calories an hour.  Now we're starting to get somewhere!  The ultimate goal is to walk at least an hour.
     Experts recommend starting at a slower pace and walking for 30 minutes five times a week.  As you become more fit, you can add some speed walking intervals and eventually work up to 5 days a week of one hour.
     Go outside if you can.  Researchers in a 2010 study by the Journal Environmental Science & Technology found that walking or exercising outside for just five minutes a day boosts mood and self-esteem.
     As I mentioned in Monday's post,  I love to sit on the couch with the Mr. and watch T.V. (Really, I just like to spend time with him and since he is watching T.V that's our together time.) The bad part is that I also like to eat carbs in the evening...couch potato eating carbs does not bode well for the diet.  So most evenings, sometimes alone, usually with my man, we pause the show we are watching and go walk circles outside our house for an hour. We get some good couple time and burn about 350 calories. Although that isn't much, when we combine eating healthier and additional morning exercises..that equals about one pound more of weight loss per week.
     Let's try adding some walking to our routine and see if that will boost the weight loss.  Happy Walking Friends! Have a fanastic Friday!