Walking is a great kind of exercise. It works well, is cost-free, and is doable almost anyplace. Walking may be social and stress-relieving, making it another pleasurable type of exercise. Regular walkers enjoy numerous health advantages like stronger bones and muscles, healthier moods, and less risks for obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Try some of these ideas to make your walk into a full-body exercise if you enjoy walking but want to burn more calories, build muscle, or simply enhance your walking routine.
1. Accelerate the Speed
Increase your walking speed to burn more calories and fat. The typical walking speed is roughly 2-3 mph, or a mile in about 20 minutes. 4 mph is the ideal walking speed for weight loss purposes. This denotes a mile in 15 minutes. You'll burn about one-third more calories if you go from 3 mph to 4 mph faster.
While using a treadmill, it should be simple to determine your walking speed. While going outside, it could be a little difficult to gauge your speed. Use a timer to time your mile or consider downloading a fitness app that can track your speed.
2. Mix in a Jog
If running isn't your thing, there's nothing wrong with sticking to walking. But have you thought of doing a little jogging while you walk? If you have been consistently walking for some time, your legs' muscles should be trained to gradually transition to jogging.
To assist your body get acclimated to jogging, incorporate a few short jogs into your walks a few days per week. Aim for a speed of 4 to 5 mph (5 mph and beyond is typically regarded as a running pace). You'll increase the intensity and variety of your workout and burn more calories if you jog for even a minute or two while walking.
3. Include an Incline
Walking uphill is more physically demanding for your body and burns more calories than walking downhill. Additionally, it uses your calves, glutes, and legs in new ways, which is better for muscle building and conditioning. If you have trouble walking uphill, consider gradually raising the gradient on the treadmill. If you would rather walk outside, pick a location where you may begin your stroll going uphill and end it going back downhill. Another benefit of uphill walking? Your walk will become more interesting as a result, keeping you from feeling stale.
4. Add Weights
While you're walking, keep your arms busy! Adding 5 lb. of free weight to your walk will help you burn more calories and tone your arms. To prevent excessive soreness or injury, however, be sure that you are holding and lifting the weights with good form. To see how to correctly include free weights into your stroll, watch this video.
5. Sneak in Exercise Moves
Boost your level of difficulty by including some additional exercises in your stroll. Do 10 push-ups, 25 jumping jacks, 15 squats, or any other activity you can think of after every 10 minutes of walking. Every 10 minutes, switch up the moves to keep things fresh. This and other exercises can be incorporated into your walking routine to increase its intensity and utilise your other muscles.
If you're a frequent walker, think about implementing any of these ideas to increase the heart rate. Never forget that walking on a regular basis is preferable to not walking at all. You can reap many key health benefits and manage your weight by walking for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
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