When
it comes to shedding extra weight, you may want to take a cue from the
Italians. That's right: The country Americans associate with spaghetti and
meatballs could hold the secret
to staying slim for life.
It's
called the passeggiata, meaning a short
walk taken purely for pleasure, and many Italians do it multiple times a day,
typically after meals. You won't find anyone wearing a pedometer or
spandex during these strolls, though. Instead, you'll see them enjoying the
sunlight, catching up with neighbors, or reconnecting as a family after a long
day.
And
when it comes to weight loss, it's genius.
According
to Prevention's new book The
Fat Cell Solution—a cutting-edge new plan that naturally retrains
your fat cells to release extra calories—getting into the habit of a a passeggiata sets
the stage for weight loss. A study in the journal Diabetes
Care involving older
adults at risk for diabetes found that three 15-minute walks after
meals improved their ability to regulate blood sugar for the following 24
hours. These several short walks were at least as effective as one long
45-minute walk taken during the day. The habit of taking multiple walks also
gets you up and away from your desk or couch, and may lower stress levels.
If you
take your passeggiata after dinner, you can reap even more
benefits: The gentle physical activity and the fading light before nightfall
can recalibrate your body clock, helping you sleep
better. It's a simple way to aid digestion, dampen the postmeal surge in
insulin, and stimulate metabolism—without it ever feeling like
"exercise."
How to get
started: Instead of turning on the television right after dinner, go for a
15-minute walk. After a few weeks, add another walk in the morning, after
lunch, or sometime in the afternoon. If you already work out, fantastic! Use
your outdoor passeggiata as a supplement to your normal
routine. Even if you're already fit, the passeggiata can reintroduce you to movement as an
easy, stress-relieving activity—not a chore to be sweated out and endured.
For the best results,
pair your passeggiata with the Prevention diet plan in The Fat
Cell Solution to help
you lose weight, increase your energy levels, lower your blood pressure, clear
your head, and allow for deeper sleep. Article Source
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