Walk away that belly flat
IF you’re aiming to shed the pounds, especially when one of the major targets is belly fat, then walking may be the farthest exercise routine from your mind. In fact, many of us immediately conjure an image of ourselves in the gym moving from equipment to equipment.
But Gisel Harrow, personal trainer and fitness instructor at Hard End Fitness Factory on Ardenne Road, said that you may want to reconsider the ideology that walking does not seem rigid enough to melt those stubborn pounds. In fact, she said that there is a plethora of weight loss benefits that come with walking.
“People often underestimate the power of walking and its contributions to a healthy body and mind and, in particular, weight loss. However, what many people fail to realise is that walking, and speed walking in particular, is very important to one of the major contributors to weight loss, which is a very active metabolism,” Harrow said.
She pointed out that what happens when we walk is that the metabolism as well as the heart rate increases, which will result in the oxygen levels increasing and calories burning. She said, however, that if you are serious about losing weight, especially around a stubborn region such as the belly, the process, even if it is just walking, will require discipline.
In addition, Harrow pointed out that the amount of weight that you will lose ultimately will be dependent on the number of calories you burn, and this all depends on how much you weigh, how fast you’re going, and your individual metabolism.
“To lose belly fat you will need to walk briskly, regularly, every day if possible, at a steady speed. However, this has to be fast enough so your heart beats faster which will cause you to breathe harder and deeper. You also want to take note of the fact that you can’t expect to walk short distances for best results, so consider a walking partner and safe areas you can explore,” Harrow recommended.
She said that with burning belly fat you also have to consider your diet as a big part of the plan. She said that a well-balanced diet, in addition to walking, will help you to burn more calories than you would by just walking alone.
“When used in conjunction with healthy eating it can help you reach a caloric deficit for weight loss. This is because what we put in our bodies is what contributes to overall body fat, so if this is managed well then you don’t have to worry about fighting with body fat which is being repeatedly added,” Harrow advised.
In addition, she said that there are added benefits to walking including the fact that it is low-impact, which lowers the odds that you will get injured, especially since you will be doing it so regularly. The average person will definitely lose weight by walking, and if practised in tandem with weight training exercises, will achieve optimal results.
