If weight loss and improved health are important goals for you, then starting a walking program is the perfect solution. Achieving your weight loss goals are just a short walk away, it is time to drop all the excuses of why you cannot exercise and get out there and walk your way to improved health and a slimmer you. Just keep reading and you will see how easy it really is to get started and remain motivated to reaching your goals.

Starting a walking program is a terrific choice for anyone because your age or physical condition will not stand in your way. Providing you start off easy and do not try to over do it right from the start a walking program can and will produce many positive results.

Whether your goal is weight loss or just improved health a walking program is the best place to start. Whenever you begin any new exercise program it is important that you first check in with your physician to let him know what your plans are. Once you have been checked out by your physician and you have the O.K. to follow through with your plans it is important that you realize you must take it slow in the beginning.

To begin your new walking program you should start out by just simply going for a 10 minute walk 3 times a week. Now this may seem to be a little too cautious in the beginning but trust me it is the safest way to begin any new weight loss program. Now that you have started your new walking program and you have made a commitment to yourself to stick with it you may start to add 10 more minutes to your walk each week. If you experience difficult breathing do not become discouraged, just cut back on the time that you walk by 5 minutes or so. You want to walk at a pace that will raise your heart rate some but you really want to keep it at a comfortable pace for you.

Before you know it you will be a month or two into your weight loss and fitness program. With your new walking program it is important that you are constantly challenging yourself, if you keep increasing the amount of time you walk you are certain to see your hard work pay off.

With your new walking program your goal should be to extend your walks to 30 minutes at least three times a week, but the more days you walk the sooner you will see results. Here are just a few of the benefits you will receive from all your efforts:

• Your muscles will become more tone giving you a slim and healthier look
• You will notice that tasks that use to tire you are now much easier to perform
• You will experience less stress in your life as fewer things will cause you to react in a stressful manner
• You will notice a positive change in the way that you sleep as it will be more restful allowing you to awake felling more refreshed
• You will experience numerous health benefits such as lower blood pressure, a lower risk for heart disease, reduced chance of developing diabetes and many more
• You will lower your body fat and replace it with much more beneficial muscle
• Your overall self-confidence will grow as you begin to see and feel the benefits of improved health
• One benefit a lot of people experience is they become much more outgoing and they develop a positive mental attitude
• You will become more active in other aspects of your life such as playing outside with the kids or going to the beach
• If you stick with it you will reach your weight loss goals which has an entire host of positive effects
• You will feel younger and look younger
• You get to relish in all the compliments you will receive fro friends and family as they begin to notice all the positive changes in your appearance and attitude towards life

As you can see there are many benefits to starting a walking program it leads to much more than just weight loss as it is truly a total fitness program. There are many more benefits then what I have listed here, I just really wanted to mention some of the more important ones.

The longer you stick with your walking program the easier it becomes and before you know it you will have developed a lifelong habit. When you begin to reach your weight loss and fitness goals your self-esteem will climb and your overall confidence in yourself will give you the will and drive it takes to accomplish anything.

Now it is your time to get up off the couch, lace up your walking shoes and get started on the path to the new, healthier you. You see how little time it takes when you are starting out so that eliminates one excuse because everyone, regardless of who you are or what you do for a living can find at least 15 to 30 minutes to dedicate to your health and well- being.

You really can achieve your fitness and weight loss goals by starting a simple walking program and if you decide to speed things up as you see improvement then you will experience even greater returns for your added efforts.