| Kim, 62, didn't believe that she could lose weight just by walking. She told Michele Stanten, a personal trainer, that she was "too old, too fat, and too out of shape to excel or benefit from walking." |
| But Michele encouraged Kim to test out Walk Your Way to Better Health, a breakthrough plan from Prevention. Michele’s goal for Kim on the plan: increase her walking speed to jumpstart her metabolism. |
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| Kim started by walking five days a week, pushing her pace for two of those walks. She had a goal pace for each walk, and when she achieved it, she felt a sense of accomplishment and was excited to do more. |
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| The physical changes quickly followed. Within a little more than 4 weeks, she was down about 8 pounds, and she was climbing hills more easily and fitting into some of her smaller size clothes. |
| "It has been years since I could get into my smaller jeans and it feels awesome," she says. "I am tucking in my shirts and wearing belts again.” |
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| Walk Your Way to Better Health includes the exact plan Kim used to walk off the weight, but you can get a start now by using this walking advice, from Stanten, the book’s author. |
| STAND TALL. |
| By elongating your spine and reaching your head toward the sky, you'll be able to gain more distance between your hips and rib cage. Now your legs can swing more freely. End result: You'll start walking more quickly without trying, and your calorie burn will jump. |
| TAKE BABY STEPS. |
| "When your front leg is far out in front of your body, it acts like a brake and slows you down. With shorter, quick steps, your foot lands almost underneath you so you roll right over it," Michele explains. |
| BEND YOUR ARMS. |
| Michele recommends bending your arms at 90 degrees, as if they were in casts. This allows you to swing your arms back and forth with more ease, and the faster you swing your arms, the faster your legs move. |
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