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Experts say that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit, so this means that in 21 days you could go take an old habit and break it or you can acquire a new habit- preferably a positive one! For those of you interested in health and fitness, this is some handy information that will serve you well. You CAN develop a healthy fitness and/or health habit within 21 days to benefit you in so many ways! Does this sound too easy? Do you think you could do it? In 21 days? I challenge you to take the next 21 days to start or re-start your weight loss journey by cultivating a new workout habit: Brisk walking.
It’s a fact: brisk walking can help you get in shape and lose weight. You don’t have to hit the gym or join an aerobics class in order to burn calories necessary for weight loss. For many of you who are just beginning your journey, walking is the perfect match. In fact, University of Pittsburgh researchers assert that those who walk for 30 to 60 minutes per day were likely to lose weight even if they changed nothing else in their lifestyle habits.* Plus, walking is something that you can do for free. You can walk around your neighborhood, in nature, on a treadmill in the gym, at the mall, on trails, at a track and more. There are even walking DVDs that you can use at home. No excuses.
The key is to be sure that you are walking at a fast pace or what many call “brisk walking”. Basically, this is not about strolling or walking slow. You want to walk at a fast pace and you can pump your arms for even more affect. This might not sound like much, but you could burn up to 200 calories each time you brisk walk 30 minutes, so if you do this every day, you’ll have burned 1,400 calories by the end of one week. With 5 days a week minimum, you could burn in the range of 1000 calories per week.* If you really watch your eating habits on top of this, you’ll be good to go!
21 Day Walking Challenge – July 9-29, 2023 (Free Tracking Calendar Below!)
If you’ve been waiting to start your weight loss journey because you don’t know where to start, I’d like you to do something for me. Make a commitment to take 21 days to change things up. Make a commitment for 21 days to eat healthier and walk briskly for at least 30 minutes, at least 5 days per week until you reach 21 days. You don’t have to become a vegan, but I do want you to encourage you to introduce healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables into your diet on a daily basis and eliminate some unhealthy foods (junk foods, foods with little nutritional value).
I also want you to find a family member, co-worker or friend to commit to doing this with you. It will make it easier to partner with someone in this endeavor. For 21 days, Commit to do something different. Commit to become healthier and get moving. If you need motivation, get some. Read the stories of others who have gone from unhealthy and overweight to healthy and slender, listen to motivational speakers and invite your friends to encourage you. Get recipe books that have healthy recipes and try your hand at cooking lighter meals. Heck, you might even want to form a neighborhood walking party!
I believe that anyone can eat healthier with a firm commitment to change and most everyone can get out and walk consistently. I believe that in 21 days you will develop healthier patterns that will continue on past that 21 day mark. You will prove to yourself that you can change and live a healthy lifestyle. Begin today. Take the 21 day brisk walking challenge.
You may want to purchase a few things to help you track your efforts and to get the most out of this challenge.
- Fitness tracker/Fitness watch
- Pedometer
- Treadmill
- Ear buds
- Audible – Audiobook subscription
This is a self-guided challenge. Check-in and share your progress in our Facebook Group!
Leave a comment below and let us know when you plan to start your 21 days of brisk walking and where you plan to walk.
Download our free tracking calendar.
Post about your 21 Day Challenge using the hashtag #BWLW so that we can find your posts.
Now, you might say to yourself, “Walking…will that really work?” Well, I say “You’ve got to start somewhere!”
Do you realize that most New Year’s Resolutions are made with the pledge to eat healthier, exercise, and lose weight? It is probably not a shocker that within one month of making those resolutions that efforts subside and people continue on with their unhealthy lifestyle. They say they want to eat healthier and exercise, but are not willing to pay the price.
Committing to the simple lifestyle change of walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week could help you make progress on that weight loss resolution you made months ago.
It is easier to eat unhealthy foods. Most people opt to grab cookies over celery and a Big Mac over tofu salad. It is also easier to sit around the house rather than to get out and walk or engage in some form of exercise on a daily basis. But easy does not get you very far. Easy gets you gaining pounds and feeling sluggish.
Many people get it that exercise and healthy food is important, but we don’t want to really commit to changing our lifestyle. There is a saying, “When the pain gets great enough, you’ll do something different.” What that means is that when you get sick and tired of feeling sluggish and carrying those extra pounds, you’ll do something different. Will you have to reach a point of no return or experience a crisis before you change? What will it take for you to get motivated and really make a commitment to doing something different to get the results that you want? Walking is a great way for anyone to get started. Take a chance and get moving for 21 days.
*Reference: www.active.com/walking/articles/forget-the-gym-why-a-brisk-walk-is-a-really-great-workout
Calories: Intensity of your workouts, age, weight, body fat vs. muscle, health and other factors will impact calorie burn so these are estimates. You can invest in a fitness tracker, like Polar watch or FitBit for a better idea of how many calories you’re burnin
Commecha Jordan-Brown says
I’m in
Vanessa Carter says
I’m in !
Geraldine Blackwell says
I’m in! Starting July 10, 2023
Foxxi says
I’m in
Timika Williams says
I’m in We are Starting Monday July 10th!!
Satrice Tate says
I’m in. I’m starting Minday Juky 10th
April smith says
I’m in
Valerie says
I’m in! Let’s get it.
Nelisiwe Nkosi says
I am also in