Have you ever wondered how you can increase the calories lost from walking? Though one of the most popular forms of exercise, walking has its limits in terms of helping one achieve a high level of fitness. The aerobic output necessary to burn calories while walking requires an hour or more per walk. Multiply that by (at least) three times per week; that’s a lot of time. Even with a challenging terrain, an hour of walking will still not deliver the highest level of fitness. Normal walking does not incorporate enough of the major muscle groups to increase the heart rate to a level that will burn a significant amount of calories. Adding hand weights might help a bit, but also puts additional stress on your joints. There is, however, a simple solution. Here is how incorporating a lightweight pair of walking poles into your walking routine will transform it into a full-body, aerobic workout:

Engage more muscle groups

Using walking poles engages 90% of muscle groups vs. 50% used in regular walking. The motion used in pole walking is similar to that in cross country skiing. The poles force you into a full range of motion, incorporating all the muscles in the arms and shoulders. This full range of motion increases cardio output by 20% or more, which allows you to burn up to 48% more calories without additional effort.

Strengthen Core Muscles

Walking with poles strengthens the core muscles, as well. When the core muscles are strong, everyday activities become easier. Strong core muscles are the key to a strong body. The more muscle the body has, the more calories it burns. Strong core muscles also naturally align the spine allowing you to sit, stand and walk taller & breath deeper.

Lessens Impact on Lower Joints

Believe it or not, regular walking can put great strain on the lower joints. This is because there is nothing to cushion the impact. When using walking poles, your weight is more evenly distributed. This lessens the impact with which we hit the ground by over 26%. Thus, there is less stress on your back, hips, knees, ankles and feet compared to regular walking. When there is less strain on your joints, walking becomes effortless.

Provides a More Efficient Workout

Because walking with poles provides a full-body workout, the need to do different exercises for each muscle group is eliminated. One no longer needs to do separate cardio and weight lifting routines (unless you want to). Pole walking is much more efficient than regular walking, as you are getting both your weight bearing and cardio workouts at the same time. This lessens the time of your workout … 30 minutes is all that’s required to dramatically increase the calories lost from walking.

I don’t know about you, but I love to be fit and healthy. Being a busy and pragmatic person, I also want to work smart, not hard. Therefore my walking workouts have to be efficient. Waking poles not only makes walking more beneficial but they actually take less effort to use and are easier on our bodies. That’s why I love this simple and time-saving strategy. It allows me to increase the calories lost from walking in a fast, fun and efficient manner.

If you are interested in learning more about increasing the calories lost from walking, stop by and visit: walkingpolesforseniors.com.

If you are interested in learning more about increasing the calories lost from walking, stop by and visit http://walkingpolesforseniors.com.

Author Bio: If you are interested in learning more about increasing the calories lost from walking, stop by and visit: walkingpolesforseniors.com.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: calories lost from walking, walking poles, exercise walking poles, calories burned while walking,