Monday, December 1, 2008

How to Achieve Easy Fat Loss with Treadmill Walking

By Torii Tompson

Losing weight is not as hard as it may seem - one really simple way to work off weight and burn that extra fat is by treadmill walking. The key to easy fat loss is to simply burn more calories than you take in through your food.

Some people mistakenly believe that if they walk three times a week for a short period of time, they can lose weight easily. This is a myth. Effective weight loss through walking requires you to walk at least 45 minutes or more five to six days a week.

In order to effectively control your weight you need to walk regularly and keep a consistent exercise schedule. You may also find that only walking on flat surfaces is not enough to help you keep excess weight away.

However, if you walk on a treadmill, you can get a more intense workout by elevating the grade, also known as the incline. Not only will the higher elevation increase your heart rate, but the muscles in your body will work harder and cause you to burn more fat.

By regularly using a treadmill in your workout you will be able to both lose excess weight, and also make sure it doesn't return. Of course some people may get bored of using a treadmill rather than exercising outdoors, so here are some great ways to make your workout more exciting:

Walk the Pyramid: This is a neat little game which is sure to keep you mentally active as well as physically active. You can play this game over the course of your workout; basically when you are doing your treadmill walking, increase the speed by 0.1mph every minute. Do this for half of your workout session, and then for the second half of your session you decrease the speed by 0.1 mph.

1,2,3 Counting Steps: Let's face it, working out on a treadmill can be boring. Break the monotony by counting your steps. Take a minute and count your steps and then take a minute break. Continue doing this throughout the duration of your workout. It will keep your workout interesting and over time you'll see notice the number of steps you take increase, which will be a reward for you.

Step and Walk: This is an excellent technique because it combines all the benefits of using a treadmill with other forms of exercise. Split your workout into equal segments, chunks of 5 or 10 minutes are good. Now, walk on your treadmill for the first segment. Then get off the machine and do another exercise for the next segment - such as using a stepper, lifting weights or perhaps using a rowing machine. Then return to your treadmill for the third segment and repeat throughout your workout.

Travel the World: This is a fun little game where you map out the favorite routes through your neighborhood and then imagine yourself walking there while you're doing your treadmill walking. What I did was actually record my journey through a local park on my camcorder, and then I watch this while doing my exercise and it's like being outdoors no matter what the weather.

Remember, exercise is a very personal thing, so just be creative and come up with your own little games and techniques to make sure that your workout is always fun! - 16004

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