Easy Ways To Add Minutes To Your Walk

Middle-aged folks who walk on a regular basis are more likely to lose weight over time, whereas their sedentary counterparts are more likely to gain weight, according to research by University of Pittsburgh scientists as reported by a USA Today article.

Another study, also mentioned in the USA Today article, tracked young adults over fifteen years.  Those who frequently walked--at least 4 hours a week--were the least likely to pack on the pounds as the years passed.

Research has consistently demonstrated that regular exercise is one of the best ways to avoid gaining excess--and unhealthy--weight.  And walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise!

So why don't more people strap on their walking shoes and pound the pavement?

Lack of time is an often cited reason for avoiding or neglecting exercise.  However, there are some simple ways to find some extra minutes for your daily walk.  Breaking your exercise into smaller time segments--such as 3 ten minute sessions instead of 1 thirty minute session--is just as beneficial to your fitness levels and overall health.  So follow just a few of these tips, and you'll get an extra 30 minutes or more of walking time in your day:

10 Minutes - Skip the snooze.  If you already hit the snooze button, you're sleeping about ten minutes longer than you plan.  Get up as soon as the alarm sounds, and use those extra minutes to take a brisk walk around the block, jog on the treadmill, or walk up and down your driveway.

10 Minutes - Reassess chores.  What's the one chore you can let go each day?  Maybe you can serve reheated leftovers for dinner, or have the kids wash the dishes.  Delegate or skip one daily chore to find a few extra minutes for walking.

5 Minutes - Simplify your routine.  Rearrange your wardrobe so that you have plenty of coordinates, like basic black pants, that make dressing easier.  Switch to a combination moisturizer/foundation so you can skip part of your cosmetics routine.  Find a way to streamline some of your daily activities and you can add five minutes to your walk.

10 Minutes - Buy prepared foods.  If you're responsible for the cooking in your home, consider buying some convenience foods like pre-bagged salad, pre-washed vegetables and pre-cut fruit.  It may cost more, but you'll easily save almost ten minutes when you don't have to wash, dice and slice before dinner.

20-30 Minutes - Multitask.  Hop on the treadmill while you watch your favorite sitcom.  Listen to books on tape while you walk around the block.  Ask a friend to join you on a walk so you can socialize and exercise at the same time (or chat with a long-distance friend on your cell phone).  For busy folks, multi-tasking your walk with other obligations may be the only way you find time for exercise.

10 Minutes - Give up one small time-waster.  Do you read the Lifestyle section of the newspaper even though there's never anything that interests you in it?  Do you watch the weather segment of your local news--and then watch the Weather Channel, too?  Odds are you have at least one unnecessary time-waster in your life, so why not replace it with walking?