Want to get a workout out of your walk? That’s how you do that!
Dragging yourself to the gym every day? That is not for everyone. On the other hand, a (large) walk every day is much easier to maintain. This way you can get some exercise and, if you go with someone else, you can also have a nice chat along the way. Want to make your walk a bit harder and therefore burn more calories? That’s how you do that!
1. Quicken your pace
Actually, we always walk at a relaxed pace. Wonderful, right? Or is walking perhaps just that little bit easier? Personal trainer Mathew Forzaglia recommends not walking ‘too comfortably’. “You should actually adopt a speed that is challenging, but one that you can maintain,” he shares with Shape. How do you know if your pace is right? If you can still have a conversation, that’s great. Are you no longer able to have a normal conversation? Then the pace has to slow down a bit.
2. Add weights
Do you want to turn your walk into a real workout? You can do this by wearing ankle weights while walking. Still, Mathew recommends wearing a weighted vest to take your walk to the next level. “This distributes the weight much more evenly,” he explains.
3. Use intervals
While it is very comfortable to maintain the same pace the entire time, it can be very beneficial to change pace. “If you use fast intervals, you work on your heart rate variability. This improves your cardiovascular health and also burns more calories,” explains Noam Tamir, strength coach at Shape. “Not only do you burn more calories in less time, but you also increase excess oxygen consumption after exercise, which allows your body to continue burning calories even after you’re done exercising.” That’s right: even when your walk is over, your metabolism will remain elevated for a while. Ideal!
4. Walk through the sand
Is the weather nice and do you live a bit close to the beach? Then go for a walk through the sand. “And do this barefoot,” Noam recommends. “The sand gives you much more resistance than the pavement. Your body – and especially your feet – will therefore have to work harder. You then benefit from the cardio benefits and strengthen your feet.”
Another way to make your hike more intense is to hike in the woods on the less popular trails (just be careful). Or by increasing the incline on the treadmill at the gym.
5. Add challenges to your walk
Walking may be a cardio workout, but you can add small exercises to your walk, making it a small strength training. For example, agree with yourself that you will do twenty lunges, squats or skates after every 300 to 500 meters. This makes your walk more challenging and also more fun!
Source: Happy in Shape, Marie Claire | Image: Adobe Stock
