Walking is a proven and effective way to lose weight. Many women have formed walking clubs and even participated in walking marathons. So how can you get a piece of the action?

Simple. The first piece of equipment you need is a simple walking pedometer to help track your stats. This will help track how much steps you’re taking.  And the very first goal on your list..is to walk 10,000 steps!

Focus on achieving this goal first and then focus on decreasing your time it takes to take 10,000 steps. 10,000 steps may seem on the high end but once you open up your creative mind you’ll find an endless amount of opportunities to add some steps here and there.

Once you accomplish this task, then you’ll be ready to work just a tad harder. Here are a couple simple ways to increase the intensity of your walking program.

Jack Up Your Pace

As you walk think about taking more steps rather than bigger steps. As a result, this will help you walk faster and keep your heart pumping. A good goal to set for yourself is to walk a 12-13 minute mile. It may seem daunting at first but keep at it and I guarantee you’ll surprise yourself in a couple weeks.

Keep It Compact

Believe it or not walking is an Olympic sport. If you’ve ever had the chance to check these athletes out, you’ve probably noticed that they look pretty funny. What’s so great to watch is how they keep their movements nice and small. I would recommend you do the same.  Keep your arms pumping by your sides the whole time. Try to avoid making them flail out to the sides. As for your feet, pretend your walking on a tight rope, and as you walk place one foot directly in front of the other. Not only will this increase your power output but it will also allow you to engage more muscles in your lower body.

Pump Your Arms

As I mentioned before you will want to keep pumping your arms. Have your elbows bent at 90 degrees and by your sides the whole time. As you pump your arms you should keep you elbows close to your ribs. By using your upper body in this fashion it will help propel you forwards at a much faster pace and in turn burn more calories.

Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill…and So Will You!

Now I know what you’re thinking after reading that headline. “Marci your nuts!” And for the most part I do have to agree with you. However adding in some hill training will no doubt bring your fitness to a whole new level.  What’s great about it, is that you’ll be able to engage almost every muscle in your lower body. Another advantage to hill training is that it’s a great way to bring your heart up without running or having too much impact on the knees. If you want to see some phenomenal changes…head for the hills!

Accessorize

If it’s one thing women like to do, it’s to accessorize. So lets see here, you have your ipod…your water bottle…what else is missing? Oh yes, some hand and ankle weights! To add even more spice to your walking routine why not buy your-self some nice ankle weights? I would recommend you start off with 5 lbs per leg. This of course will make your workout a bit more challenging. By adding this resistance you’ll need to increase your power output and work even harder which in turn will burn even more calories.  As an added bonus you’ll start to develop lean muscle and your metabolism will increase drastically.

By using some of these walking tips and strategies, you’ll not only become a walking expert but reap all of the health benefits involved.  As always if you’re consistent you might even be able to drop a few pounds and inches!

If you need a structured walking program you can instantly download a 12 week program at The Feminine Fit Institute. Once you log in click the “Easy Fitness Solutions” Icon and get your copy.