Walking is one of the best forms of exercise to promote weight loss and overall good health.

Here are 5 good reasons why:

1) Walking elevates your heart rate.

Cardiovascular exercise is an excellent way to elevate your heart rate, boost your metabolism, and burn calories. In order to reap the greatest health benefits, you need to walk briskly – not just stroll along slowly. Starting out at a slower pace is a good idea, to allow the body to warm up and avoid injury. Then gradually increase your speed so you are moving along at a nice pace, not quite running but definitely hustling a little bit.
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One thing I like about my area is the miles of bike paths linking the cities along the St. Lawrence River. When the warm weather hits, the bike paths are flooded with people walking, running, biking or rollerblading. I love seeing people out and about, getting some exercise and enjoying the sunshine.

I’ll be tooling around on my bike, nodding a greeting here, a smile of camaraderie there only to come to a screeching halt because a group of people decided to STOP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BIKE PATH to, I don’t know, do something important like solve world peace?

Oh. My. I told myself I wouldn’t turn this into a rant post, so ignore the all caps up above. Let me take a deep breath and start again…

Sometimes we just don’t think. None of us are perfect, that’s for sure. So, the other day, when I seemed to be almost literally running into people on the bike path, I figured it would a perfect time to write a post on basic bike path etiquette.

Here are some do’s and don’ts when using a bike path this summer:

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Every year we spend the winter cooped up where it’s warm. When spring rolls around, we can’t wait to get outside. Getting outdoors can not only battle spring fever, it can also get you up and moving. Exercising outdoors can give you a better workout and burn more calories than the machines at the gym. As spring approaches, if you want to get outdoors and get in shape, here are some great activities you can do.

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Who says that the cold weather means you stay indoors? There is no reason why the winter can’t be a fun time for family just like the summer. Here are some ideas for having fun in the winter air.

1. Go sledding. The big hill could be in your back yard or somewhere else in the neighborhood. Grab the sleds and head for the top. Sledding is one thing that adults can do and still feel like a kid. Everyone loves the feeling of their heart in their throat as they go speeding off towards the bottom of the hill. Hardware stores sell out of sleds so get yours early.

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You’ve worked all year to get in shape. It could have been a New Year’s resolution that got you started. When winter hits, the weather gets cold and gloomy. Learn to ignore the gloom and doom and stay on track to better health.

During the warmer weather, it is easy to get physical activity. We work in the garden, go for walks in the evening, bike ride with the family, and spend lots of time outdoors. When someone wants to go, we jump up and go. There seems to be more energy in our steps.

The main motivation is looking good in great clothes. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all want to look our best for as long as we can. The by-product of looking good is that we can achieve great health benefits. Unfortunately, when winter rolls around, all we desire is to curl up on the couch in big sweaters and slippers. It’s not cute but it’s comfortable.

But, that big sweater gives us a false sense of security. We can’t see how much damage we could potentially be doing by eating and maintaining a sedentary lifestyle. It is okay to want to slack off a bit on the exercise but totally dropping things is a no-no.

Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated during the winter months. To start, set a regular time to work out and stick to it. You may not feel like meeting a friend at the gym for a class but you can pop in a DVD or VHS tape and sweat at home. Instead of cranking up the car and braving the cold, you stayed comfortable and worked out anyway.

Maybe the busyness of the holidays has you skipping workout sessions. Exercise is cumulative. Every little bit adds up. Fifteen minutes in the morning plus another fifteen minutes in the afternoon equals thirty minutes of physical activity that day.

Physical activity doesn’t have to be an hour of jumping up and down to a routine. It could be reading a magazine while walking on the treadmill. Dancing around the room, as you vacuum and clean, counts as exercise, also.

Talk to a friend or workout buddy even if you can’t get to the gym with them each day. Use the telephone to keep each other motivated. When the weather leads you to slouch on the couch, phone a friend and get a pep talk until you jump up on your feet and get going.

Listen—you’ve worked mighty hard all year. Why throw it all away during the season of frivolity and food? It won’t be easy to stay motivated, but friends can help. Stick to the routine as much as possible and you won’t feel the after effects of a long indulgent holiday season – you’ll be one step ahead when January rolls round too.

Dieting is hard and it takes some dedication. Losing interest is the number one reason why most diets fail and we often end up back where we started or worst still putting on a few pounds than we had in the beginning. Diets are ok but they leave a lot to be desired when they restrict you and what you can eat, simply not being able to have something, means that you crave it all the more. Here are the top ways to lose a few pounds without losing interest.

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I bet if you were to look in your closet and go through all of your shoes, you’d realize that you don’t have many pairs that are actually very comfortable for walking. Am I right? You probably won’t be able to find more than one or two pairs. Choosing the proper walking shoe is a must in order to prevent foot injuries and other problems.

Who hasn’t bought a pair of shoes because they were fashionable, or went with an outfit perfectly, but caused you to end up grimacing in pain for most of the time they were on your feet? Okay, admittedly, in the past, shoes that have been comfortable for walking have not exactly been flattering to wear. That just isn’t the case anymore. Today you have a wide variety of really good walking shoes to choose from. It’s in your best interest to pick shoes that will keep your feet healthy.

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Summer is the time to take part in all of the great outdoor activities that are available. You can go hiking, swimming, biking or just take a stroll around your neighborhood. It’s easy to get the exercise you need in the summer, often without planning it.
However, when winter comes, people tend to get out of shape. Who wants to go out and exercise when it’s cold? It’s so much easier to find excuses, and put off our exercise routines. When it’s cold outside, no one wants to work out outside, and if you don’t have a gym membership, you need some kind of exercise equipment at home, right?

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You may not want to hear this, but exercise is a great stress reliever. As you know, exercise is important for a strong body. But not only does regular weekly exercise help maintains a healthy weight, it also helps the body to deal with stress. Just thirty minutes a day of physical exercise can relieve stress.

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