walk
WALK EVEN IF YOU ARE FIT
Walking is the most fundamental part of human movement. It is the underdog of exercise, but it's powerful impact on our health and its simplicity make it an ideal way to move your body. It requires little equipment (good shoes are highly recommended), no gym fees, and can take on so many forms that it’s only limited to your imagination and willingness to commit to it.
Thankfully, new studies have shown that walking at least fifteen minutes every day can add seven years to your life. One study followed sixty-nine people between the ages of 30-60 and found that those who engaged in daily moderate exercise, such as walking, experienced anti-aging benefits.
So, if you know you won’t be able to do your regular workout due to an early morning meeting, taking a 15-minute walk on your lunch break or after dinner could get you the same benefits. This week, challenge yourself to include more walking to your exercise routine, even if you are already doing other forms of exercise. Most of your minutes will be in the grey zone unless you decide to do walk/run intervals or even walk/strength intervals. Remember, a long term health and fitness requires mindfully adding more activity in small ways consistently each day.
9 Easy Ways to Walk More
● Walk to work or school
● When taking public transit, get off a few stops before your destination
● Take the stairs instead of the elevators
● Park far away as opposed to the closest parking spot and then walk to wherever you’re going
● Go for a quick walk after lunch instead of just sitting around for the whole time
● Go for a walk right after dinner, you can make it a family event
● Try “walk and talk” meetings at work
● Instead of sitting down and listening to a podcast, walk and listen to a podcast
● Walk your dog or walk with a friend or family’s dog
So, get out there and just walk. Commit to walking at least 15 minutes a day.
Below is a structured walking program for you. It is simple to follow, but will give you a great plan so that you will gain some great benefits beyond just going out for a walk.
Monday: Rest day. No walking of significant distance or intensity.
Tuesday: Economy Workout. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Then walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds or 200 meters (two city blocks in most cities). After 30 seconds, drop down to an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat the 30 seconds speed/2 minutes rest 8-12 times. Cool down with a 10 minute easy pace walk.
Wednesday: Recovery. Easy 3 mile walk at 65-70% of your max heart rate. This is a pace at which you can easily maintain a conversation but are breathing harder than at rest.
Thursday: Threshold Workout #1: Speed. 10 minute warm up at easy walking pace. Walk fast for 8 minutes or about half of a mile at 85-92% of your max heart rate. Then slow down to an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat this for 3-4 repetitions. Cool down for 10 minutes at an easy pace. The threshold pace is strenuous, but one you could maintain throughout a 10 kilometer/6 mile race. You will be breathing very hard and able to speak only in short phrases.
Friday: Recovery. Easy 3 mile walk at 65-70% of your max heart rate.
Saturday: Threshold Workout #2: Steady state or tempo workout. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Walk 20-30 minutes at 85% of your max heart rate then cool down with 10 minutes easy pace.
Sunday: Distance Workout. 8-12 kilometers (5-7 miles) at 70-75% of your max heart rate. This is a conversational pace.
Varying your walking workouts will help build different aspects of fitness: speed, endurance,