When you are walking, remember that time doesn't matter as much as distance. Should you walk, jog, or run? It doesn't matter. Walking will take a little longer to reach your goal, but the benefits are the same as if you ran the same distance.
Concentrate on the distance first, then the pace how long it takes you to get there. Each time you walk briskly, you'll build muscle. The longer and leaner your muscles are, the faster you can walk to reach your goal.
You must warm up first! Why? You have to let your muscles know you are going to be using them for awhile. You don't want your muscles to burn up that snack you had a few minutes ago, or that sandwich you had for lunch (these are the sugars (glucose) currently in your bloodstream.) (This is what we call Anaerobic walking.) You want those muscles to burn the fat stored in your body. If you don't warm up first, you are not telling those muscles to go after the hidden fat. (This is what we call "Aerobic" walking.) In order for your muscles to "Call Up" the fat reserves, you must warm up.
You must also cool down those muscles after you have worked them. If not, you will be stiff and sore and prone to injury. Burning fat in the muscles produces a by-product called Lactic Acid which pools in the muscle. If you don't cool down and stretch out those muscles you have just worked, you won't work the lactic acid out and you will be sore. It's the stretching out that gives your muscles flexibility. The more flexible the muscles, the easier it will be to climb a flight of stairs or lift down a heavy box from the top of your closet. When you are stretching your muscle, you are "elongating" the muscle using a slow controlled motion. After you have pulled out the muscle, hold it there for 30 to 45 seconds. How hard do you pull it out? Pull it out as far as you can without pain.
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