Many people believe that in order to lose weight they will have to spend hours upon hours in a gym or fitness center. This could not be further from the truth. The only basic requirements to achieving long term, healthy weight loss is that you eat a balanced diet that contains a lot of fruits, vegetables, fiber, lean proteins and whole grains. You also need to exercise.

This doesn’t require you to become a fitness queen. If you are at least able to put one foot in front of the other (walk), then you are well on your way to turning things around and getting the body that you’ve always wanted.

Some people might argue that walking isn’t enough to lose weight. Instead, they suggest that you have to perform more strenuous exercising like jogging. Who’s right? Well, it depends but generally, if you eat right, you can lose a substantial amount of weight even if you only walk.

A great number of people, when they began a diet or fitness program get intimidated by those super fitness types. You know the joggers that you see running every day even in -12°. They mistakenly believe that they have to put in the same amount time, effort and sacrifice in order to lose weight. Knowing that this type of regimen is unrealistic, they give up even before they begin. The “super jogger” has unknowingly halted their weight loss efforts.

If they only spent a little more time researching, they would have found that walking at a brisk pace provides individuals with many of the same benefits as jogging does. It is a lot easier on the body and is a more realistic and comfortable exercise option for many people. It is possible to go on walks in one’s neighborhood, at a local park or school track. A treadmill is also a good option.

Persons just starting out should aim to walk at least 12 miles a week. It might be necessary to walk more then this in order to see results. However, this will depend on your starting weight, your health and your current fitness level. If you cover in this amount of distance on a regular basis and are still overweight you will obviously need to increase the length of your walks and perhaps even the intensity.

This 12 miles figure is especially good for persons who don’t have a history of exercising and are just starting out. If you do want to increase the intensity of your workouts you may consider some interval training. This simply involves you walking at a certain pace for a specific amount of time and then either speeding up or slowing down throughout your walk. For example, you may want to try walking at a medium stride for about 30 seconds and then speed up to a brisk stride for an additional 30 seconds. You may also want to jog for short bursts. For example, if you’re at a high school track you could walk for a half a lap and then jog for half a lap. This type of interval training allows you to burn more calories because you are tricking your metabolism to keep burning at the higher rate even when you are walking.

Both walking and jogging are great ways to lose weight. Walking is often the better exercise option for people who have not done a lot of exercising in the past and also for those who may not be in very good shape. However, if you are in fairly good shape, jogging is a much better choice because it will require your body to work harder. In order to lose weight, you will have to push yourself and get a little uncomfortable. Obviously, you should not work harder then your body can handle but you should break a sweat. It is important that you speak with your doctor before starting a diet and exercise program so that they can ensure that you are physically fit enough to participate.

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