Going on a walk can be amazing for you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Walking can also help a new or expecting mama ease into being active without overdoing anything or paying for a gym membership! I've put together 3 tips and ideas to help you get more bang for your buck when you step outside or on the treadmill!
3 ways to increase a walking workout:
-terrain
-resistance
-speed
Terrain
Unless you have weak or injured ankles and/or knees, going on a walk on a trail or general uneven terrain will make your body work harder! As your body is challenged to adapt to every twist and turn, your metabolism spikes and lowers, pulling more energy from your muscles and liver.
Just like a car burns MORE gas in the city than on the highway, so does your body when you constantly switch things up, giving it more challenges.
Resistance
Wearing wrist or ankle weights are a great way to increase the resistance in your walk! You can also carry handweights or carry a weighted vest or backpack. Walking up and down hills also increases your resistance! Your body will burn more calories when your heart rate constantly changes from fast to faster to slower to faster, etc.
Adding in exercises during your walk will definitely get that heart rate up and increase your caloric burn as well! Exercises such as walking lunges, squats and pushups on a bench, jumping jacks, and squat jumps intermittently throughout your walk can continue to challenge your body so it does not reach a plateau, which is common for walkers and runners.
Speed
Finally we come to speed. If you're on a leisurely stroll, your body does not recognize this as a challenge and will not put forth the extra energy needed for a more brisk walk. You can change speed throughout your walk, briskly walking fast for 1 minute, then moderately for 2 minutes, then back to fast, etc. You can tweak the speed of your walk however you want, just make sure that it's a safe speed no matter how fast you're going! A good way to measure this is to see if you can still carry on somewhat of a conversation. If you're able to walk and talk at the same time, that means you're not overworking, but you are moving and challenging your amazing body.
Here are some other ways to change up your daily walks
What are some other ways that you change or challenge your daily walks?