How to UP your WALKING GAME!
How to UP Your Walking Game
Walking is one of those workouts that almost everyone can do. No matter what fitness level you are, adding walking into your daily routine can improve your health, stamina, and weight loss/maintenance goals.
I’m sharing this blog to remind you that walking still counts as a workout. We know that workouts like strength training, HIIT, spinning or jogging burn more calories but that doesn’t mean that walking doesn’t count. And believe it or not, you still have to be intentional about it if you’re looking to get those extra steps in. The cool part about walking is that you don’t need a gym membership or any fancy equipment. You just need your sneakers and maybe a great attitude and you’re good to go.
Some benefits of walking include: better mood, improved cardiovascular health, better performance, increased energy, better recovery, improved metabolism, and weight loss. If you want to really reap all the benefits and turn that walking session into more than just a casual walk, here are 7 ways you can UP your WALKING GAME.
Create a daily steps goal.
You may have heard that 10K steps a day is what you should aim for. However, I think it’s best to choose a goal that is challenging yet attainable and realistic for you. You can get a Pedometer app on your smart phone or track your steps with an apple watch, FitBit or Garmin. Creating a daily goal is a great way to push yourself to do a little more than your normal. If you’re daily average is normally 5K steps, then aim for 7K. If you normally hit 8K per day, then go for 10K.
speed it up
Pick up the pace and go for a power walk next time you’re out. If there is a route you normally walk, time yourself and then try to beat your time the next time you do it. This is a sure way to increase your heart rate and calorie burn, plus it’s fun to measure and see your progress. Getting faster is a sign you are getting stronger and pushing yourself.
Make it full body
Incorporate your arms when you walk too, not just your legs. Swing those arms and let them in on the exercise fun. Let’s get that blood pumping everywhere!
turn it up by literally going up
Add an incline and go up stairs or go up a trail on a hill or mountain. Climbing up a hill is a great way to get that heart rate up, plus it activates the glutes and hamstrings. Hello sexy legs! I’m loving the All Trails app to find new trails and hikes near me. It’s a great way to change the scenery and add a challenge to the normal walk.
listen to music
Music can really change the energy of any situation. Listening to upbeat music will have you moving faster and burning more calories. Music is also known to help improve mood, motivation, endurance, and performance. I swear time flies when I have some good music playing.
Get a Walking Buddy
Having a buddy to walk with can not only make it more fun but also will hold you accountable and keep you motivated. If your schedules don’t line up, you can still keep each other accountable and have that friendly competition to push each other to get those steps in. Challenge your best friend, your spouse, your coworker or your family to walk a certain amount of steps/week. The best part about this is they are getting healthy with you too.
add in intervals
Just like HIIT workouts are very effective in increasing calorie burn after a workout, so can adding in intervals during your walk. Challenge yourself to walk as fast as you can for a certain distance then slow down to recover for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat this about 10 times to get the benefits. Varying up the speed can really make this walk an incredible workout.
I hope that after reading this, you are motivated to UP your walking game. I know that if you incorporate my 7 tips, you will reach your health and weight loss goals so much faster. Now go set a goal, get an accountability buddy, and maximize your walking time! You got this!
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