Walk the Walk!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to give you a tip on how you can burn a few more calories every time you go to the gym.  And as an added bonus to this tip, it will allow you to burn these extra calories while actually spending less time in the gym.  Seem too good to be true?  It really isn’t so far fetched of an idea.  All you simply have to do is walk to the gym.  After reading that, I am sure to have gotten at least one of three responses; the first being agreement, the second being disagreement because of lack logistics, and the third being disagreement because of lack of time.  I don’t need to prove my point to people who agree with me, so let me explain to those who think this would be a challenge that walking to the gym is an excellent way to burn a few more calories, and save you time actually being in the gym.

Steve is the owner of the gym that I have trained at for a number of years.  This mid-sized gym was the first of its kind in the area, and the first facility of this size that he opened.  Fortunately for Steve, the business became very successful in a very short amount of time.  But unfortunately for Steve, the gym was so successful that limited parking became one of his biggest problems; not only did limited parking aggravate current members, but it was a drawback for many potential new members.  To deal with the issue when finding another location was not possible, Steve had to come up with some creative solutions.  One of these was to have the trainers and staff park down the block, instead of in the lot, and walk the ¼ mile or less the rest of the way.  While this helped with opening several parking spaces, some of his staff were upset that they would now have to walk the extra distance.  His wise reply was to remind his staff that they were fitness professionals and the short distance required to be walked shouldn’t be an issue, and that if it was, they should reconsider the industry they were in.

While I can understand that one of the hardest issues people face with getting to the gym on a regular basis is finding the time to do so, and now asking you to walk to the gym would seem like adding more time to that endeavor, let me explain better just what I am saying.  Although it would be great for both you and the environment if you could walk, jog or run to the gym all the way from your home, I understand that may not be feasible.  It may in fact be too far of a distance or require too much time.  But if you are working out properly, you should be doing a short warm up before you get into your routine and a cool down at the end of the work out anyway.  I am simply suggesting that you substitute that same time in the gym, with a walk/jog/run to and from the gym from a safe distance in which you can park your car.

Although the way I am suggesting this helps to make this easy for you by substituting the same amount of time you would be active anyway, you will see that you will actually wind up burning more calories.  This will happen for two reasons.  First, once you are in the gym, you will often want to stay longer knowing that you have to exert some energy to get back to your car.  You will be more hesitant to end a work out early, or leave the gym so soon if you can’t hop right into your car.  Second, over time, you will see that the little bit of extra time getting to the gym will get longer and longer as the enjoyment from it will have you actually wanting to park further and further away.

            Think about why you are going to the gym.  Is it to burn calories?  Improve your endurance?  Improve your health?  Almost any reason you are going to the gym will only be benefited by adding a few more minutes of walking, jogging, or running both before and after your workout.  So don’t just talk the talk.  Walking the walk is an efficient way to reach a fit new you!