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A Lot To Lose? 6 Steps That Leave Pounds In The Past

By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Saying you're too heavy to walk is like saying you're too skinny to eat. Your body needs physical activity, just as it needs food. Nourish it with walking, one of the best-kept secrets of weight loss. Just follow these six steps:

1. Think: Every day, no excuses

Make walking a priority. Every day. And that's walking -- not gardening or house cleaning or hitting golf balls. You can do them, but they can't replace your walk.

2. Think: Small

Walk just a few minutes a day if that's all you can do right now. Then, increase by one or two minutes every few days. Work up to at least 30 minutes a day.

3. Think: Warm-up

Warm-ups -- a few minutes of slower walking -- prepare your body, physically and psychologically, for the upcoming workout. You'll be ready to step out when you feel a little warmer and your heart beats a little faster.

4. Think: Pleasant

For most people, strenuous exercise is no fun (which means quitting). Cut yourself some slack, and go slowly at first. If you're overweight, you'll burn as many calories as a smaller person walking more quickly, because your body is carrying a bigger load.

5. Think: Crank it up (gradually)

Once you've been walking for a while, and you're feeling good, go faster or farther. Just don't increase either more than 10 percent a week.

6. Think: Stretch, stretch, stretch

Stretch the muscles you've just used for two or three minutes when you're done. This allows them to be ready for the next time you want to use them (that would be tomorrow).

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The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of "YOU: The Owner's Manual." Want more? See "The Dr. Oz Show" on TV (check local listings). To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com. (c) 2009 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

This news arrived on: 10/19/2009

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