The next time you go for a walk, why not have the opportunity to lose extra calories, burn more fat and have fun? It's easy to do all this, as long as you mix some different types of workouts related to walking. Each, designed by Mark Fenton, author of The Complete Guide to Walking: Stepping Your Way to Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness, speeds up fat burning by adding one thing at a time.
Add a cane
If you walk holding a cane in your hand, you can speed up calorie burning by 20 to 46%, depending on the ground and how strongly you push your step with the cane. In addition, "using sticks makes training easier, strengthens the strength you have in your upper torso, and relieves the knees considerably from the strain they normally receive," says Fenton.
The program with the cane
Total time: 45 minutes
Extra calories burned: 90
1. Walk at a slower pace for eight minutes, alternating your step with the cane to warm up.
2. Gradually increase your pace and start walking faster by shaking the cane more decisively for 12 minutes.
3. Alternate every two minutes between the fastest walk and the slowest for a total of 14 minutes.
4. Swap for a minute by jumping from one big step to the next and use the cane sometimes more intensely and sometimes more calmly for a total of six minutes.
5. Walk with the cane at a leisurely pace for five minutes to recover.
Add uphill slope
Start walking on sloping ground, not just flat, as you will lose 20 to 70% more calories, depending on how uphill the ground is and how fast you walk. "Exercising against the law of gravity is an effective way to strengthen and strengthen your legs and buttocks," says Fenton. When walking on sloping ground, take smaller steps, but maintain the same pace as on flat ground. Lean in front of your ankles (not your waist) and use your hands to push forward, but do not raise or lower your arms above chest level.
The program uphill
Total time: 35 minutes
Extra calories burned: 90
1. Walk for five minutes on level ground.
2. Walk for 15 minutes on a moderate-intensity step on uphill terrain that constantly forces you to climb higher or lower inclines for two to three minutes, gradually increasing your pace.
3. Climb a very uphill and steep level at a fast pace for six minutes and at a slower pace for another four minutes.
4. Relax your stride and walk on level ground for 5 minutes to recover.
Add speed
By alternating high speed with low speed, you can walk at a brisk pace for a long time without straining. Breaks are the key to strengthening the heart and lungs and of course to maintaining fitness and weight loss. "Do not underestimate the benefits of strengthening the body," says Fenton. The key to adding speed to the exercise is to take faster steps, not faster.
The program with speed
Total time: 35 minutes
Extra calories burned: 80
1. Walk at a slow pace for five minutes to warm up.
2. Gradually increase your pace, finding a rhythm that you can maintain for ten minutes.
3. Reduce the intensity of your stride again for five minutes.
4. Walk as fast as you can for a minute without running.
5. Switch between faster and slower gait per minute for a total of 10 minutes.
6. Walk calmly for four minutes for recovery.
Add company
If you want to entertain your boredom, ask a friend to accompany you on your walk so you will be less likely to quit exercising or reduce it. "Plus, if you're walking alone for an average of 30 minutes and you're walking for up to an hour when you're alone, you burn twice as many calories right away," says Fenton. Another benefit is that due to the company you can start walking faster unconsciously. If you are with friends, choose a fast pace that allows you to maintain a conversation so that you do not gasp. If you are a beginner, do not be discouraged if your pace is slower at first, as new research has shown that if you are obese and lead a sedentary lifestyle, a slow pace is the one that will help you continue exercising by losing more fat and improving insulin levels. of blood.
The program with friends
Total time: 60 minutes
Extra calories burned: 130
1. Walk with friends for ten minutes at a leisurely pace to warm up.
2. For the next 40 minutes, switch between faster and slower gait.
3. Walk more slowly for ten minutes to recover.
Add seats to the gait
Walking with seats strengthens the legs and buttocks, gives a huge boost to metabolism and improves balance and strength of the torso. "Because these seats make you stronger, you are laying the groundwork for more intense and longer-lasting fitness programs," says Fenton. "This is the key to continuing to burn more and more calories while walking."
The program with the seats
Total time: 40 minutes
Extra calories burned: 100
1. Walk at a leisurely pace for eight minutes to warm up.
2. Walk fast for one minute and walk forward with seats for the next half minute. Hold this rhythm for a total of eight minutes.
3. Walk at a slower pace for five minutes.
4. Walk fast for one minute and walk sideways for the next half minute. Hold this rhythm for a total of eight minutes.
5. Walk at a slower pace for five minutes.
6. Walk fast for half a minute and walk forward with seats for the next half minute. Hold this rhythm for a total of four minutes.
7. Walk leisurely for two minutes for recovery.
Basic rules for the seats
1. Place your hands on your hips for balance and tighten your abs.
2. Take a big step with your right foot taking care that the right knee does not extend beyond the toes.
3. Press hard on the leg extension and press your left foot for the next big step.
4. Continue at the same pace, alternating legs.
5. Simultaneously with the legs, synchronize the arms while sitting.