Creating A Weight Loss Walking Habit

by Jim Bolding

Walking is one of the easiest and most profitable forms of exercise. All you need is a good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing, and desire. Of the three desire is the one that you really can't do without. Ok, maybe some clothing.

Spring has now arrived and the weather will be warming up soon. So there's really no reason not to consider building a walking habit.

The "taper on/taper off" method of creating a good habit or breaking a bad one is what I like to use. With this method you just take baby steps toward forming a new good habit or breaking a bad one. It works for me.

Building a good habit takes time. You should expect about three or four weeks of continuous repetition to create a weight loss walking habit.

If you have the desire, I mean really, really have the desire to make walking a habit the rest is easy. Just walk out the door. You're not walking to improve health or to lose weight or any of the other reasons walking is so good for you. You're walking to create a habit.

Keep the sessions short. Five minutes will be ok. You're "tapering on" to a weight loss walking habit. What's important at this stage is just doing it. The duration doesn't matter; it's the repetition that matters.

After three or four weeks of just getting out the door you can begin increasing the duration and intensity of your new habit.

Your long-term goal for a weight loss walking program should be walking a minimum of five days a week for 45 to 60 minutes at a "talking" pace. But that's on down the road. Right now don't worry about it. Just get out the door.

Never Give Up!