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A Frugal Fitness Guide: Walking to Lose Weight

Walking is a wonderful way to lose weight while saving money. Walking to lose weight is not only easy and inexpensive, but also it is the perfect form of exercise. You don't need to join an expensive gym or drive across town for a yoga or aerobics class, and you can enjoy the fresh air.

Burn fat by walking

When walking to lose weight, you need to work in your target heart rate zone. To determine your target heart rate, place two fingers (not your thumb) on the carotid artery on the side of your neck or on the inner part of your wrist and count for ten seconds. Multiply this number by six and you should be at 65 to 85 percent of your maximal heart rate. The formula for maximal heart rate is 220 minus your age.

You can also use heart rate monitors to measure target heart rate. The monitors can be set to your target heart rate and let you know automatically when you are in the fat burning zone. Some monitors are worn on the chest, while others are worn on the wrist and look like a digital watch. Look for ones with at least a stopwatch and a feature that allows you to set the target rate.

Using handy pedometers or speedometers

When walking to lose weight, you may want to keep track of how many steps you take.

Pedometers keep track of this but some are not really accurate. They may count steps you did not take if you jiggle them.

A better choice may be walking speedometers. By using GPS technology, the devices can measure how far and fast you are going.

Some offer features such as mapping, GPS navigation, and PC downloads. Two good speedometers available are the Garmin Forerunner 201 and the Timex Ironman Speed + Distance GPS Speedometer.

Pick safe places to walk

The list of places to walk is endless. You could join a walking group in your town, discover walking trails at your state parks or simply walk around the neighborhood.

Malls generally will let you walk around before they open and walking groups that meet at the mall are popular with older folks.

Finally, if you walk, it could be safer to buddy up with someone, be aware of your surroundings and avoid isolated areas.

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