Walking to Lose

Walk

We have all heard that walking helps us lose weight. Yes, there are other great ways, but walking can work for virtually anyone.

When my #weightlossjourney began about a year and a half ago, I had a coach helping me. And he told me something I didn't want to hear. He told me that I had to exercise.

I like to exercise, so that wasn't the problem, but I have an issue. I tend to injure myself when I workout--especially when I am lifting something. 

But then, I thought about this. I can walk. I can walk like crazy. I walk in the heat (well hydrated). I walk in the freezing cold. I can walk in the daytime. I can walk at night. 

Using a bouncer, I can even "walk" in my living room.

And that's what I did. And I lost 40 pounds. Love it.

I would be walking around the track at the college and it was so cold that my fingers cried. But about 20 minutes in, I didn't care. About 30 minutes in, every care in the world would just drop right down on the track.

And then I quit walking and went to more body weight exercise in a bid to build more strength. 

And I quit losing.

I just figured this out. 

I have previously done the 10,000 steps a day. And it was great. And it's fun. But my step-counter is nowhere to be found. 

But it doesn't matter because I don't really need it. 

One of the great things about being a teacher is that I walk on the job. 

*I know that some of you think that teachers sit behind a desk and bark out orders. I'm not talking about that. I don't call that teaching.

*Side note to teachers: set up your classroom to make it easy to walk around. It's good for the kids and for you.

So as a teacher I walk. From previous experience, I know that I can easily put 4000 to 6000 steps on the counter just by teaching. 

I can also easily add 30 to 45 minutes of walking in my neighborhood or at the track or down the creek path. 

And I know it will really help my nutrition efforts.

By the way, my strength training consists of whatever variety of push ups, squats, pull ups, and leg lifts I can dream up when I work out. And I love doing it. I have every intention of continuing this.

The Exercise Plan

• keep walking in the classroom
• walk in my neighborhood
• walk at the track
• walk down the creek trail
• use the bouncer - Click here to read my article about losing with the bouncer... Featuring a 7 day plan.
• continue strength training twice a week

This is my plan going into May. My goal is to hit this at least five days a week. And to keep up strength training at least 2 days a week.

If YOU need to exercise more (or some) or differently, I bet you can sit down for five minutes and figure out a plan that will work better than what you have been doing.