Walking for fitness is one of the easiest ways to give yourself that much-needed daily exercise. But just trudging back and forth on the same path can become boring after a while. Here are some walking workouts that will add variety and make this exercise routine more fun.
Walking workout no. 1: Happiness walk
A great thing about walking for fitness is it is fairly easy to do and less stressful than other exercises. This workout builds up on that idea and helps you relax more with each step. It works by combining your regular walking sessions with some stress-relieving activities. These are:
- Focusing on your feet: Feel the ground with your feet in every step. Keep that awareness of your steps up for two to three minutes.
- Feeling your breathing: Stand up straight to increase lung space. Inhale and imagine yourself drawing in fresh air. When you exhale, imagine it as exhaling tiredness and pain.
- Talk to yourself: Mentally speak to yourself as you breathe in and breathe out. Speak of positive ideas to help you better build focus.
By doing these simple exercises, you take your mind away from different thoughts that come to your head. You also become less concerned about the length of your workout and make it easier to go through your route.
Walking workout no. 2: Calorie burn
Exercise walking is already a great calorie burner on its own, metabolizing as much as 102 calories per mile you walk. But you can boost that figure by alternating it with some high-intensity exercises.
Squat kicks
This 15-minute walking workout consist of the following routine:
- Walk 5 minutes and do 5 squat kicks on each foot
- Walk 5 minutes and do 10 squat kicks for each foot
- Walk 5 minutes and do 15 squat kicks for each foot
To do the squat kicks, stand with your feet spread apart as wide as your shoulders. Squat down and kick your right foot forward when you come up. Bring your foot down and return to a standing position. Repeat the process with your left foot.
Combination uppercuts and walk-outs into planks
This routine is ideal for a 30-minute morning workout and adds two exercises to your routine. To do the uppercuts:
- Stand with your feet and shoulders slightly apart. Bend your knees slightly. Bring your fists up to shoulder level with your elbows facing down and palms facing your chest.
- Quickly punch your left fist straight up while simultaneously pulling your right fist down. Repeat the punching motion with your right fist. Do this as one rep.
For the walk-out into planks:
- Stand with your feet slightly apart and your hands on the sides. Bend your knees and your body forward until your hands touch the ground.
- Walk your hands forwards and assume a plank position with your legs straight behind you and toes pointing to the ground. Hold the position for 10 seconds.
- Walk your hands back towards your body and return to a standing position. Do the plank for another rep.
To incorporate the exercises into your walking routine, walk for five minutes and then do one of the exercises. For the uppercuts, do 30 reps. With the planks, hold each for 10 seconds. Start with the uppercuts and alternate between the two for six sets.
Walking workout no 3: Faster pace
Increasing your pace is a great way to add variety to your walking workout. Running coach Jeff Galloway says that this helps you boost your stamina and keep in shape better. He adds that the routine increases the release of appetite-suppressing hormones like leptin. Dieters will find this to their liking and be encouraged to do the routine.
To incorporate faster-paced sprints into your walking routine, start with a 5-second jog per minute of walking. Do this for 10 minutes. Gradually increase this to 30 minutes for each session. Once you have achieved this initial goal, move to increase your jogging time to a full minute with a 30-second walk in between sprints.
When you are accustomed to the change of pace, you can add more variety to your routine. This workout, for example, adds both a fast walk and jogging to the mix, plus some simple exercises.
By doing this particular routine, you will be able to burn up to 70% more calories than just walking at a steady pace. You can further vary the routine by adding other exercises depending on the results you want to get.
Do more walking for fitness with these workouts
The walking workouts listed above are a great way to make the activity more fun. And there are still more walking exercises you can try for different effects. Check these exercises out and get fit with every step you take.