Burn a Zillion Calories a Day: Walk Like a Parisian

You want to know the secret to how Parisians (and Europeans in general) stay so thin? Here it is. They walk.

Europeans walk everywhere and they walk everywhere fast. Fast walking is great because anyone can do it, it burns a lot of calories and it's easy on the joints.

So, if you want to lose weight and stay lean and trim, go to Paris and attempt to keep up with a Parisian. If you can't get to Paris (an absolute tragedy), simply do your best to:

Walk often and walk fast. Do your best to walk, NOT DRIVE, where you need to go. For example:

• Park far away from your destination and then walk. (Use the money you'll save on gas for a nice vacation at the end of the year.)
  
• Eat lunch at your desk and use your lunch hour to go for a walk.
• Walk your dog (or the neighbor's dog) in the morning before work and at night after dinner.

And remember, no sauntering or meandering or loitering. The point is to walk fast enough to get your heart pumping, your lungs working and the calories burning.

P.S. If you want to go to Paris, the Loire Valley, Brittany and Normandy let me know because I'd be more than happy to give you some info on amazing places to stay, things to do, etc. Check out Chateau Mont-Dol in Brittany (near the abbey of Mont St. Michel). It is beyond incredible.

Copyright 2009 Amy Giaquinto