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Fitness Walking: Walk your way to a Fitter You!

Fitness Walking: Walk your way to a Fitter You!
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If you are one of those looking for a low-impact exercise that can give you big results, then fitness walking is just for you!

Fitness walking is a great way to get fit and lose weight. Walking workouts give you the same benefits of running. At the same time there is no pressure on your knees and other joints. In addition, who doesn’t enjoy a pleasant, long walk on a beautiful day?

Walking is the most easiest and inexpensive way to stay physically fit. It is also the most flexible form of exercise that can be done both indoors and outdoors. At the same time you can tailor the intensity of your fitness walking based on your abilities and goals. Whether you are a beginner walking for exercise, or the one looking for weight loss, or if you are already trained, this post will tell you all about fitness walking and walking workouts that will help you get the greatest benefits.

Fitness Walking Workouts to Burn Fat and Boost Energy

Whether you are looking to shed those extra pounds, boost energy, lift mood, or just want to be a little more toned at certain places, here are the walking workouts for you. These fitness walking workouts are categorized according to specific goals. Choose the one that’s right for you, and start walking towards your fittest body ever!

Flip Your Fat-Burning Switch!

You can reduce a size or even more within a month by adding high-intensity walks to your schedule. You will burn fat during and after your cardio workouts. Moreover there are options to fit everyone’s needs—a 10-minute schedule for busy days and an indoor option for rainy weather.

1. Fitness Walking Workout: Treadmill Slimmer

fitness-walking-workout-treadmill-slimmer fitness walking

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Treadmills are the ideal excuse buster for those giving excuses like weather, traffic, or darkness. As you become fit you can see your speed increasing – this is the best motivator!  Start at a comfortable speed. Increase 0.6 mph from there for Phase 1 speed intervals. For each subsequent phase, increase your speed intervals by 0.2 mph. The amounts of calories you burn depend on your weight, walking speed, and workout duration.

Another alternative is the mini stepper gadgets which lets you control the intensity of your workout. The main appeal of a stepper machine is that it targets the lower body and is a very effective tool for toning your legs

2. Fitness Walking Workout: Drop-It-Fast Sprint

The faster you walk, the farther you can go and the more kilos you will melt off. So here is a fun routine that will help you burn as many as 175 calories. Warm up for 5 minutes and then walk as fast as you can for 10 minutes. See how far you went. Now turn around and walk back at a brisk pace, slow down your speed to cool down as you get closer to your starting point. Each time you do this workout, aim to walk quicker and go beyond your initial turnaround point.

3. Fitness Walking Workout: Megacalorie Burner

The workouts of an hour or so can crank up your post-exercise calorie burn almost fivefold, compared with a 30-minute walk. That’s on top of the nearly 350 calories you will shed off during your walk. This will also get you in shape to take on a bigger goal, such as a half marathon. It’s also a social way to slim down: Plan your route so you meet up with friends, and walk with each for part of your route.

4. Fitness Walking Workout: Belly-Busting Walk

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High-intensity workouts can shrink 5 times more belly fat than moderate-intensity workouts. If you are looking to shape up your abs, use these tips during any walk:

  • Focus on drawing your abs in towards your spine. Try to maintain the contraction throughout your walk, but remember not to hold your breath.
  • Imagine that your legs extend up above your navel. As one leg swings forward and back, that hip should follow. This slight hip movement will enable your lower torso to rotate, activating more ab muscles to tighten your mid-section faster.

5. Fitness Walking Workout: Super Fat Blast

Increase the intensity with metabolism-accelerating bursts of high-impact activities. You are sure to burn nearly 70% more calories than if you walked at a steady pace.

Brighten Your Mood!

Whenever you need a quick boost-up, try one of these routines. Even a 10-minute leisurely walk can recharge your energy by increasing circulation. Go for 30 minutes and you could get a whopping 85% energy boost. Try these inspiring walks that get your mind and senses working. The good feeling can last up to 12 hours!

6. Fitness Walking Workout: Happiness Walk

fitness-walking-workout-happiness-walk fitness walking

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Refresh your mind and body with an easy walk that includes these stress-busting techniques from Carolyn Scott Kortge, author of Healing Walks for Hard Times.

  • Focus on your feet. Feel the firm ground beneath you as each foot rolls from heel to toe. Try to hold awareness of your steps for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Turn your attention to breathing. Lift your torso to stand upright and increase lung space. As you inhale, imagine you are drawing in renewed energy. Exhale tiredness and pain. Let fresh life flow into your lungs and your cells.
  • Mentally talk to yourself. Thinking Fresh air in, stale air out as you breathe can help you maintain focus.

7. Fitness Walking Workout: Boost your Brainpower

Change the direction you walk—forward, backward, or sideways—this will keep your mind alert, turn up your calorie burn, and activate some often-underused muscles, such as your outer and inner thighs.

8. Fitness Walking Workout: Head for the Trees

Nature as you know is the best healer. It can boost your mood and energize you in just 5 minutes. If you exercise in a natural setting and go longer, you can improve your memory and attention 20% more than you can by walking in an urban surroundings. The reason is that there are fewer distractions and it is more relaxing.

Firm your Arms, Butt and Thighs

If you add some toning exercises or techniques to your workout schedule, you can turn your walks into total-body workouts and shape up your legs and butt even faster. Aim to target each body area two or three times a week. For example, do the Sculpt All Over workout once or twice a week, and do a lower-body and an upper-body routine on alternate days. Don’t work the same muscle groups on back-to-back days.

9. Fitness Walking Workout: Double-Duty Toner

Use a pair of walking poles. According to the research walking poles boosts calorie burn by up to 46% and also involve your arms and core for allover firming. The poles also reduce impact on your joints.

10. Fitness Walking Workout: Butt Firmer

fitness-walking-workout-butt-firmer fitness walking

Do you know that walking uphill activates 25% more muscle fibers for faster firming than strolling on flat terrain? Warm up at an easy pace for 5 to 10 minutes. Then walk up and down the hill; follow with 2 minutes of brisk walking on a level surface. Repeat the hill and level walk for your desired workout length. Finish with 5 minutes of easy walking to cool down.

11. Fitness Walking Workout: Sculpt All Over

During this workout, you’ll intersperse strength moves as you walk, for cardio and toning both. Using the lottery approach from Lee Scott to pick your exercises will prevent boredom and challenge new muscles.

Lottery approach: Write at least nine no-equipment strength moves on pieces of paper. Vary exercises to hit all major muscle groups, such as walking lunges, bench push-ups, tricep dips, planks, and power jumps. Drop them in a jar and draw three out before a walk. Warm up at an easy pace for 3 to 5 minutes, then walk briskly for 5 to 10 minutes. Stop and do one of the strength moves for 10 reps. Repeat the brisk walking (5 to 10 minutes), followed by the next strength move. Repeat once more to complete the final move. Cool down for 5 minutes at an easy pace.

12. Fitness Walking Workout: Indoor Leg Toner

Do this quick workout on your stairs to double your calorie burn.

  • Walk up and down one flight normally.
  • Slowly walk up sideways, crossing bottom foot over top. Keep head up. Walk down normally. Repeat, facing the opposite direction.
  • Step up on first stair, then down, starting with right foot (right up, left up, right down, left down) 10 times. Repeat, starting with left foot.
  • Climb stairs two steps at a time; come down quickly using each step.
  • Run up; walk down normally.
  • Repeat numbers 4 and 5 another four times.
  • At bottom, place right foot on first or second step, bend knees, and lower into a lunge. Keep right knee directly over ankle as you do so. Push off with right foot to return to start. Repeat with left leg. Alternate legs for 20 lunges total.
  • Walk up and down normally one time.

 

10 Tips for Fitness Walking

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Here are some tips for you to consider while fitness walking:

  1. Before starting a walking workout, consult your doctorif you have a chronic medical condition or if you have had a recent injury.
  2. Invest in good shoes.
  3. Always warm upby walking at a slow or normal walking pace for 5 minutes before picking up the tempo of your workout.
  4. Pay attention to your heart rate and breathing.
  5. Use good walking posture.
  6. Consider getting a pedometerto track the distance you’ve walked or the number of steps you’ve taken.
  7. Tracking your stepson smart phone apps or Fitbits can provide additional motivators.
  8. Make sure you carry waterif you are walking long distances or are exercising in hot weather.
  9. In the heat of summer, don’t forget to wear a hat with a brim and to apply sunscreento exposed areas.
  10. Vary your route if you’re getting bored.

Choose your fitness programme!


Comments (12)

  • Another brilliant post Sonal. Walking is a wonderful way to get the blood and lymph circulation pumping if you walk fast enough. I am suffering from lack of walking at the moment as it is so cold in England right now and even if I wrap up really warm and wear thermals my fingers and toes go dead.

    I have toyed with the idea of buying a lightweight foldaway home treadmill but have read some things about how they alter your gait. I do have a home exercise station so do some light weights on that every day to pump my muscles as well as doing some rebounding with they say is as good as going for a run.
    Sandy Halliday recently posted…5 Tips For Mindful Eating During Thanksgiving And The Holiday SeasonMy Profile

    • Author

      Hi Sandy

      I also love walking but its right that in cold it is difficult to go out. Well i run on a treadmill at home during winters and as such faced no problem. You just have to wear right kind of shoes when you run on it. That’s it…it wont affect your gait.

      Thanks for writing in and sharing your views

      Have a nice day!

  • Tons of great information! I walk 2 or 3 times a day with my dog, but of course, that is at a leisurely pace. The nice thing is I recently moved and where I live now there are plenty of parks and hiking trails so there’s no shortage of places to fitness walk. I’ve bookmarked this post and will give some of your suggestions a try. Thanks!
    Marquita Herald recently posted…Envy: The Emotion That Thrives In The Bad Neighborhoods Of Your MindMy Profile

    • Author

      Hi Marquita

      Thanks for writing in. I love to walk and make sure to go out daily for a walk. Whenever am not able to, I run on a treadmill at home.

      enjoy your walk!

  • Great post. I love the idea of a Happiness Walk. We have a lot of trails and forests around here so I try to get out in nature and get my walking in.
    Ruth Bowers recently posted…[Friday Five] 5 Time-Saving Content Creation TipsMy Profile

    • Author

      Hi Ruth

      Happiness walk makes you feel relaxed and relieves you of all the stress. Enjoy!

      Have a nice day!

  • Had a treadmill and gave it away. When I worked, we walked 2 miles,on,a slow day and 10 miles on a busy one. Now as a retired person, I am lazy and need to go for walks again. Thanks,for great topic

    • Author

      Hi Paula

      Walking is the solution of all our health problems. Its the best exercise. You should definitely go for it.

      Thanks for writing in

      Have a nice day!

  • I always like to walk if I can, it really clears my head and keeps me grounded which is worth it even before we look at the physical benefits! I’d like to do more though so I’ll have a look at your tips – thanks.
    Kirsty recently posted…Best kettlebells to buy and use in your home gym in 2017My Profile

    • Author

      Hi Kirsty

      Thanks for taking time out and stopping by.

      Its true that apart from physical benefits, walking has many other benefits as well.

      Have a nice day!

  • I travel to Asia for work every 3 months and keeping to my regular routines has really been a struggle because of a huge time difference. When I’m abroad, the only time I can workout is in the evenings after work.
    Health synonyms recently posted…How To Shed 10 Pounds In 1 Month Diet regimen As well as ExercisesMy Profile

    • Author

      Hi

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views. Working out is very important for our health no matter what time.

      Happy New Year!

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