How To Get The Most Out Of Your Walking Workout
Contrary to popular belief, researchers have compiled a growing body of research that proves walking is a good workout. Some studies have found that walking as little as 11 minutes a day can help extend your shelf life.
However, for optimal benefits, health experts recommend walking for at least 30-40 minutes a day, five times a week.
Although walking is considered a moderate exercise, any form of exercise that is performed for more than ten consecutive minutes and leaves you panting is considered exercise.
The key benefits of exercising are that it makes you breathe more deeply and increases your heart rate. This is important for immune system functionality. When you take more oxygen into the lungs, it is passed to the heart and pumps it around your body faster.
Oxygen is also important for creating white blood cells which play an important role in the body’s natural defence systems. The more white blood cells you have the better equipped your immune system is to isolate and evacuate foreign bodies such as harmful bacteria and viruses.
Intensify Your Walking Workouts
If walking is a primary exercise, pick up your speed and engage in brisk walking. Brisk walking means your pace is quicker — around 2-3mph. The faster you walk, the more you work your body and the more oxygen it needs.
Brisk walking makes you breathe deeper. It also makes your cardiovascular system work harder. Your heart gets stronger and blood flows easier.
Fitness experts also recommend alternating walking speeds. “Interval walking” is thought to be an effective strategy that enables you to recover your breath and keep moving for longer.
The more you keep moving the more energy you are burning. This not only helps you to build stamina and muscle mass but does not allow your body to become complacent to repetition.
Elite athletes use a pyramid strategy to optimise internal walking. One suggestion is to walk for 10-15 minutes at your usual pace to warm up your muscles. Then gradually keep picking up speed at regular intervals until you are flat out.
A pyramid strategy works best if you have five gears. Depending on your fitness levels and time allowance, you should pick up the speed every 5-10 minutes.
When you want to end your walking workout you can step back down through the gears 5-4-3-2-1. Or you can keep going until you are whacked and brake sharply until you come to a standstill.
Add weights to your backpack
Walking can help you to build muscle mass and keep your body trimmed. You can speed up this process by adding weights to your backpack. Some books will do the trick if you don’t have weights.
Carrying weight expends more energy. This helps you to improve your fitness levels and make you breathe more deeply.
Before packing your backpack to the brim, bear in mind that you will be wearing it for the length of your walking workout. So don’t overload it so that your shoulders are overburdened after five minutes.
Have you ever thought about taking walking up as a fitness program?
