Walking for Fitness

I am always looking forward to my evening walks with a friend. It gives me a nice break after a long day of parenting my two young kids. I get to chat with her without being interrupted by tattle telling preschooler or a screaming toddler.

Moms out there know exactly what I’m talking about!

Like that is not enough we also enjoy nice fresh air, beautiful surroundings and we’re getting a work-out to top it all of!

In my books it does not get any better than that!

So what about you? What is stopping you from getting out there? I hope this page will convince you to get out there and enjoy the most natural exercise form known to a woman.

Why walk for fitness?

• It is easy. If you can walk then you can make it a fitness routine.

• You can walk almost anywhere.

• It is inexpensive. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes.

• It is healthy. Walking for fitness has nearly all the benefits of exercise.

• Walking involves almost all of your muscles - the abdominal and back muscles are stabilized as they hold the spine straight, the arms work in opposition to legs.

• It is a low-impact activity with low potential for injury.

• You can enjoy a variety of surroundings as you walk in different places and different seasons.

• You can enjoy good company while you walk.

Walking routine

To get maximum benefits you should commit to 30 minute walk 5 times per week.

Every walking routine should have a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down at the end:

Walk for 5 minutes at slower pace to warm up.

Speed to a nice brisk walk. You should break out into some sweat but not lose your breath. Speed up or slow down accordingly.

End your walk with 5 minute cool down. In another words slow down for the last 5 minutes. And don’t forget to stretch your legs to prevent injury and increase flexibility.

Increase your brisk walk interval at your own pace. For example start with 10 minutes and increase it by 5 minutes weekly.

So your routine would look like that:

5 minutes slow walk for warm up

• Week 1-10 minutes brisk walk
• Week 2-15 minutes brisk walk
• Week 3-20 minutes brisk walk

Adjust it according to your own fitness level and comfort.

Interesting Fact

A person who walks 10,000 steps per day will burn between 1,750 and 2,450 extra calories per week compared to the average person who takes between 3,000 and 5,000 steps a day.This means that if you commit to 10,000 steps a day you could be losing half a pound per week!

To keep track of how many steps you take in a day invest few dollars in a pedometer.

I hope Walking for Fitness was helpful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact me.

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