Why walk with legs alone and let capable calorie burning arms simply coast? Pumping light weights during your walks can help you burn more calories, build stronger bones, and boost your fitness level. Most of us can’t or won’t run for exercise, preferring the pace of a walk.
Adding light hand weights, you can enjoy the walk, engage your entire body in endurance, strength and flexibility training – and it’s fun! Why not join America’s quest for walking fitness on April 2 – with the bonus of getting more fitness from head to toe?
Pittsburgh - Many Americans will take to the streets on April 2, walking to work or walking during lunch. Will we be as diligent about getting or requisite trek in during the rest of the year? Should we? If the amount of money spent on health issues relating to overweight and inactivity, diet books and such are an indication, YES – we should think seriously about our walking options.
Weight loss experts say the same thing: In order to lose weight, you must walk for an hour a day, 5 or 6 days a week. To most of us, that seems like a huge chunk of time. But there's a simple solution that can keep you from throwing in the towel: Get more walking benefits per minute and reduce the time needed to achieve weight loss and other fitness factors.
Calories are lost in walking as the legs carry the body across a distance. Muscles work, fat and calories are lost, strength and endurance is gained. Now, think about harnessing the vast muscle mass found in the trunk and arms. Pumping arms from mid-thigh to shoulder or ear height in a “lift and lower” pattern engages more muscles – provides more fat and calorie loss. It’s simple addition.
For those seeking the fitness training of running and traditional weight lifting, why not integrate it all into one 20-30 minute walk – the 4-limbed way? Talk about an efficient use of time. By adding 2 lb Heavyhands® and pumping them from mid-thigh to ear height with each stride you've added the arms and upper torso, a veritable aerobics (calories using) gold mine. Trained arms can increase your fat and calorie consumption per walking minute by more than 100%. Why just add fine looking, lean muscle to your legs in a walk. Heavyhands Walking can tone abs, back, obliques, arms and more! Burning fat all over your body and more than doubling your per minute calorie loss is a simple exercise bargain.
Dr. Len Schwartz of Pittsburgh has been studying the effects of whole body exercise and walking while engaging weighted arms for more than two decades. “By mobilizing as much body muscle as possible per minute of exercise even the most unfit among us can begin to see results quickly. Nothing motivates one to exercise like success. Walking is tremendous exercise, when it becomes a whole body activity.” So, enjoy “Walk to Work Day’” and be bold. Give your arms a piece of the action and achieve more fitness per minute!
