Only about 20 percent of the U.S. population engages in some
type of physical activity on a regular basis, according to the
Sporting Goods Manufacturer Association International (SGMA).
That leaves
approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population
living predominantly sedentary lifestyles!
These sedentary lifestyles have produced a high number of adults
who are overweight or obese. To be more precise, around 65
percent of U.S. adults weigh too much, according to the "results
from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey" conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
If you're one who is sporting some extra body fat, there IS a
solution! BECOME MORE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE!
In order to lose fat and pounds, you must burn more calories
than you consume! Now, if you've never exercised, you certainly
do not want to try to go out and run a marathon! But, an
exercise that just about anyone can engage in...one that is
relatively safe and requires no special skills...is walking!
Walking is a great way to rid your body of fat tissue and to
build muscle mass. It is a low-impact exercise, with minimal
risk of injury. And, when done regularly, it improves
cardiovascular health, as well as endurance.
David A. Rives, in
Walk Yourself Thin, is a formerly
overweight individual who walked his way to a leaner, fitter
body. He discovered from his own personal experience that
increasing one's level of activity to over-compensate for the
number of calories consumed each day can lead to loss of excess
fat.
How long and how far should you walk? Rives says that you should
walk just as fast and as long as you comfortably can each day,
if you're striving to replace fat with lean, muscle tissue. As
you become fitter, you'll be able to walk faster, longer, and
farther.
Treadmill Walking
Of course, where you walk is entirely up to you! However, there
are many benefits to walking on a treadmill.
When you walk outdoors, you're at the mercy of Mother Nature.
Let's face it! Sometimes, she doesn't cooperate, and the weather
conditions can be less than ideal for walking outdoors. On those
days, you either brave the weather, or you simply don't go out
to walk!
If you get your daily walks done on a treadmill, however, you
don't have to miss a workout! You may walk in a comfortable,
controlled environment, any time of day or night! Now, how
convenient is that?
When you walk on a treadmill, you have no obstacles to watch out
for, to walk around, or to trip over. Thus, your chances of
injury are reduced. And, treadmill walking is relatively simple
to do!
Treadmills typically have display windows that show your speed,
incline level, intensity level, as well as the length of time
you've spent on the treadmill and the distance you've traveled.
These displays allow you to monitor your workouts more closely.
Most decent treadmills today have pre-programmed workouts, with
various workout levels from which to choose. This makes the
treadmill perfect for beginning walkers up to advanced walkers.
You get a more consistent, low-impact workout on a treadmill.
Conclusion...
Whether you have only a few pounds of fat to lose, or you have
lots of extra fat to shed, walking is a safe, healthy way to get
in shape. Treadmill walking is simple, convenient, consistent,
and sensible!
About the author:
Fred Waters worked in the treadmill industry for a number of
years. Get his insider perspective on over 75 treadmills at
www.Treadmill-Rat
ings-Reviews.com.
