If you’re like most people, your daily walk is a necessity and not a form of exercise. But did you know that you can turn that daily stroll into a full-fledged workout?
It’s easy to get into the habit of walking as your only form of exercise — after all, it’s free and can be done almost anywhere. But if you want to get the most out of your walk, it’s important to incorporate some form of strength training into your routine.
If you want to make your walks more effective, here are a few tips:
- Warm up before your walk: If you’re going to do any kind of activity that involves stretching or strengthening muscles — whether it’s yoga or hiking — make sure you warm up first. This helps loosen tight muscles and prepares them for activity by increasing blood flow and heart rate. A brisk walk is often enough for a warm-up, but if you need more than that, try jumping jacks or lunges before heading out the door.
- Add resistance. It might sound strange, but adding weight to your walk can help increase muscle mass and even burn fat. You can use dumbbells or wear a weighted vest.
- Turn it into a sprint. If you don’t have time for a full-fledged workout, turn your walk into an interval session by alternating between walking fast and jogging slowly. This will help improve your cardiovascular fitness and burn more calories than traditional walking alone.
- Walk on an incline treadmill. If you want to get the most out of each step, try walking uphill on an incline treadmill at a high intensity level for three minutes followed by one minute at low intensity level (or simply flat ground). This will help build muscle while keeping the heart rate up throughout the entire workout session.