Most of the people think that they need to do high-intensity workout to get the most exercising they need. When it comes to fitness, you should have the right mindset and understanding to keep a healthy lifestyle. You should focus on consistency over intensity unless you are a profession or training for a marathon.
Consistency Is Key When It Comes to Exercise
It isn’t the easiest habit to maintain, it also needs time, discipline and consistency. If you want to achieve actual results the key is consistency and diligence.
In any weight loss process, there should be an integral part. But the people also need to look at it as a lifestyle choice.
You must know that to you cannot lose weight by only doing extreme workouts. “The go hard or go home training mentality may be good at times or for some situations, but going hard all the time is not a recipe for optimal health. Consistency is the key to sustainable weight loss, muscles/growth maintenance, and overall health.”
You need to stay consistent and commit some time from life and do not worry about duration, intensity, or the amount of working out that you do.
Benefits of Walking
The general benefits of walking:
- Strengthens your bones and muscles
- Improves your mood
- Maintains a healthy weight
- Prevents or manages various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes
- Improves your balance and coordination
It Takes a Minimum of 21 Days to Form a Habit
Give yourself a 21-day period to adjust to the exercise habit you opt form. According to Dr. Maxwell Maltz, “…many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell.”
The 21 days is the minimum and it can take a little bit longer than this for the habit to stick. Do it without giving up and getting discouraged. “In other words, it doesn’t matter if you mess up every now and then. Building better habits are not an all-or-nothing process.”
21-Day Walking Plan for Fat Loss
Easy: Should feel like a stroll
Moderate: Pace increases, but you still hold a conversation
Fast: Talking should be difficult
WEEK 1 (Optional: split the minutes between morning and evening)
Day 1 – Start with 10 minutes, keeping an easy and steady pace.
Day 2 – Walk for 12 minutes, keeping an easy and steady pace.
Day 3 – Walk for 15 minutes, keeping an easy and steady pace.
Day 4 – Walk for 18 minutes. At this point, it may be easier to split the minutes (Walk 9 minutes in the morning and 9 minutes at night).
Day 5 – Walk for 20 minutes, keeping an easy and steady pace. Walk 10 minutes in the morning and 10 at night.
Day 6 – Walk for 22 minutes, keeping an easy and steady pace. Walk 11 minutes in the morning and 11 at night.
Day 7 – Walk for 25 minutes, keeping an easy and steady pace. Walk 13 minutes in the morning and 12 at night.
WEEK 2 – Increase intensity from easy to moderate
Day 8 – Walk 14 minutes. 2 minutes easy, 10 minutes fast, and 2 minutes easy cool down.
Day 9 – Walk 16 minutes with a moderate pace.
Day 10 – Walk 18 minutes. 3 minutes easy, 12 minutes fast and 3 minutes easy.
Day 11 – Walk 20 minutes with a moderate pace.
Day 12 – Walk 22 minutes. 4 minutes easy, 14 minutes fast and 4 minutes easy.
Day 13 – Walk 24 minutes with a moderate pace.
Day 14 – Walk 26 minutes. 5 minutes easy, 16 minutes fast and 5 minutes easy.
WEEK 3 – Increase elevation
Day 15 – Walk up/down the stairs or a path with increasing elevation for 15 minutes.
Day 16 – Walk 25 minutes with a moderate pace.
Day 17 – Walk up/down the stairs or a path with increasing elevation for 17 minutes. Add 2 minutes of fast walk.
Day 18 – Walk 27 minutes with a moderate pace.
Day 19 – Walk up/down the stairs or a path with increasing elevation for 17 minutes. Cool down with 3 minutes of easy walking at the end.
Day 20 – Walk 30 minutes with a moderate pace.
Day 21 – Fast walk for 25 minutes and end with 8 minutes of easy walk