One of the easiest ways to add weights to your aerobic walking program is to carry light hand weights while doing dedicated walks. This means that when counting pedometer steps to achieve your daily target, say it is 10,000, you may use specific walks to achieve that goal or, as with many of us, wear your pedometer all day and count all the steps or movement during the day towards that target.
If you wish to add weights which increases your heart rate and conditions the arm muscles, obviously carrying them around all day is impractical and unnecessary as the benefits of weight training can be achieved over a shorter time than that. Wearing weighted clothing or bands which fit to the body simulate the effect of being overweight and your body has to work harder (burn more calories) to move your body around.
The disadvantages of carrying weights while out walking specifically to achieve your pedometer steps can be anticipated. The main one is that if you are just starting to carry weights and for some reason don’t like them in the middle of a walk, what do you do? If you are uncertain of technique it may take you a while to adjust and if you are finding it uncomfortable or painful you will have to dispose of them into a bag or with a friend etc. Using small free weights is unlikely to cause most people any worry but there will always be occasions when someone takes weights which are too heavy or too big to fit into their hands etc.
This is why I am a big fan of counting pedometer steps using exercise or walking DVDs such as Walk Away the Pounds. These are effectively walks which rack up the miles (or mile) and include using weights at specific guided points. You can be sure that your body is warmed up, that you use them correctly, and of course you can start gradually until your fitness level matches that required for what is a very strenuous 3 miles, for instance.
The other obvious solution is to use hand weights while walking for weight loss on a treadmill although if you are already in a gym rather than at home why not use the weight equipment or do a class?
For those who do their pedometer steps while watching TV adding hand weights is also quite easy.
Bend the arms at the elbows and use a controlled swing, alternate arm to leg. Carry a weight which is comfortably held in your hand and start with a smallish weight, say 1 to 2 kilos for men and women maybe 0.5 kilos to start.
Good luck!
