Fitness walking for weight loss is one of the supreme weapons we can use in our exercise program. Be sure to include walking in your fitness routine if you are not yet ready to start running or don’t want to put too much stress on your joints.

Fitness walking vs. traditional walking:

O.k., now what is that "fitness walking" thing? Well, you know how to walk. And, even better - you know how to walk fast.

Now walking fast, or "power walking" is something you can include in your weight loss exercise program. You need nearly no sport gear, it is healthy, comes with a very low risk of injury and you will burn approximately 250 to 300 calories in half an hour...

...but there is something better...

...yep, fitness walking for weight loss!

Fitness walking, also known as Nordic walking, pole walking or ski walking is a great invention originating in Scandinavia. It is used as off-season training for cross-country skiers. Nordic skiing is one of the most demanding sports, so it is no surprise that using poles for walking enhances the positive effects.

So, to go from walking to fitness walking for weight loss, you just need a pair of nordic walking poles.

You get three important additional benefits from using walking poles...

1. You exercise your upper body muscles and can exercise up to 90% of your muscles!
2. You burn up to 40% more calories, meaning that instead of app. 280 calories you can burn up to 400 in half an hour!
3. You put even less stress on your body, for example your knees, so it is even healthier than normal walking or running!

Fitness walking for weight loss vs. running to lose weight:

Well, that is easy...

Running is great but only if you are in a good form. Otherwise running will be too difficult. Also, fitness walking puts much less strain on your body and has a lower risk of causing injury.

So, if you have been absent from the exercise crowd for a while, start with fitness walking until you are ready to include some running in your weight loss exercise program.

And even if you include running in your weekly weight loss exercise program, it is still a great idea to include one or even two sessions of fitness walking in your routine. This will give you the extra benefit of training more muscles and puts good variety in your week.

What you need to start with fitness walking for weight loss:

So, yes, we really recommend that you make nordic walking the cornerstone in your weekly exercise program.

Well, what do you need to get started? Not much of course. A pair of running shoes and a pair of fitness walking poles will do. Go out, enjoy nature and the weight loss effect you will achieve!

Oh, there is no nature nearby to enjoy? And you rather enjoy doing exercise indoors? No problem, there are also great fitness machines that you can buy or use at quality fitness gyms, which mimic the movements of fitness walking.

How to maximise the effect of fitness walking for weight loss:

Include at least three walking sessions per week!

Try to go out 3 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes. It is a good idea to try to exercise first thing in the moring before breakfast even if just for 20 minutes.

The secret to fitness walking is using the poles correctly. Here is what you should watch out for if you go fitness walking for weight loss:

• follow a natural walking movement, if the left leg moves forward, the right arm moves forward at the same time, when the left leg moves back, the right arm moves back and extends, while relasing the pole shortly to give you a pole-push.
• keep your arms close to your body and be sure that you don’t plant the pole too far in front of your body. Hit the ground with the tip at the height of the ankles of the leading foot.
• concentrate on a good grip and release movement with your hands. When you plant the pole - grip it, but as you extend the arm nearly completely, release the pole shortly. When moving the arm forward again you start gripping the pole again.

The fluid grip-release movement ensures that you use the right technique for maximising your weight loss effect. Unfortunately, it is also the thing that most people don’t do correctly...

Keep your heart rate between 120 and 140!
If you don’t use a wrist-band heart rate monitor, you can measure your heart rate while walking. Simply find your heart beat and measure the beats for 10 seconds. Multiply it by 6 and you have your heart rate. As it should not be higher than 140 nor lower than 120, the number of heart beats during the 10 seconds should be between 20 and 23!