You already know that walking is one of the best and easiest ways to help you stay fit, reduce your risk for health problems and simply clear your head. But if your walking workout has gotten stale, here are a few tips to help you step things up.
Try Intervals
First, let’s start with a change of pace. If your current regimen consists of staying one speed the whole way, mix things up with some high intensity interval walking. The idea is to switch between walking a few minutes at a moderate pace, followed by a shorter period of higher intensity walking. Besides keeping you more plugged into your workout, research has shown that interval training may help you achieve a more effective workout in less time, as well as safeguard your health against problems like high blood pressure and decreases in muscle strength.
Change Your Surroundings
Sometimes a change of scenery can also help put the spring back in your step.
If you’ve been faithfully hitting the treadmill for a while, why not move your walk outdoors? Or if you’re already outside, maybe it’s time for a new locale.
The American heart association’s walking website, startwalkingnow.org has an app that can help you change your outlook by pinpointing all the paths and trails in your area.
Set Some Goals
Another idea is to set fitness goals. Why not sign up for a fun walk or race in your area? Then you can turn your daily walk into a training program where you set goals and track your progress leading up to race day.
Reward Yourself
Lastly, don’t forget to reward your progress. Maybe it’s time to buy yourself a new pair of walking shoes? Experts agree that your shoes should be replaced after 300 to 500 miles of walking or around 300 hours of aerobic activity.
With just a few simple tweaks like these, you can spice up your walking workout so you’ll be more likely to stick with it!
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