You have decided you need to lose a few pounds and you are putting together your workout plan. You haven't exercised in quite some time and the whole thing seems a little intimidating. The best advice is to start slow and one of the best ways to do that is to make the core of your new workout plan walking.
A good way to add walking to your daily routine is to try to walk all or part of the way to work and back home. All you have to do is factor in a little more travel time in the morning and evening commute. By having two walking sessions in your day you don't have to have very long time consuming walks. All you have to do is walk at a fairly brisk pace. This isn't a stroll in the park after all.
Walking is a great aerobic exercise that can help you burn a good many excess calories. In combination with a healthy diet, walking can definitely help you shed some of the excess weight you may be carrying. As walking is an easy form of exercise, your likelihood to skip your daily walks is rather low.
One of the biggest success factors in any workout plan is consistency. So if you can commit to a fitness routine where you are walking five days a week you will soon have formed the habit of working out regularly.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed and discouraged by taking on too much too soon you will be feeding your motivation. A simple walking fitness routine is all it takes. I've had friends and clients who have lost ten's of pounds of excess weight with this kind of routine and a sensible diet.
As you lose weight with this simple exercise routine you will feel a sense of accomplishment and will want to challenge yourself by upping the intensity of your exercise. Maybe one of your daily walks turns into a jogging session or you decide to start doing some bodyweight exercises in addition to the walking you are doing every day.
A fully developed workout plan should involve strength and flexibility training as it is very important to keep your whole body strong throughout a full range of motion. This can be done with a handful of body weight exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home taking no more than 15 minutes.
As you can see, it doesn't take all that much to live a healthy lifestyle. All you need to do is make that first step.