Starting your fitness journey – particularly if you’re unfit – can be incredibly daunting. Maybe you’re put off by the thought of going to an indoor gym, or maybe you’re battling to get into the swing of your old routine after an injury. Whatever the scenario, walking is a great option to get you started on your fitness journey – and best of all, it’s free!
The benefits of walking
There are many benefits to walking – more than you may guess for such a simple exercise. Some of the benefits include: strengthening your heart, weight loss, strengthening bones, stress and anxiety management, boosting your immune system, an improved complexion and fat burning, amongst other advantages.
Let’s look more closely at some of the primary benefits:
- A healthy cardiovascular system: “Walking is one of the best ways to give your heart muscle an effective workout,” says Ray Bienedell, the Group Operations Director for Run/Walk For Life. “By walking regularly, you can improve circulation, and reduce the risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure (hypertension) and a stroke.”
- Weight loss: Vigorous walking can burn around 1600 kilojoules an hour, says Bienedell. “So expect to lose weight, while getting fit!” he says.
- Burning fat: A regular brisk walking routine can help you build lean muscle and change your body composition and metabolism. “Lean muscle weighs heavier than fat and burns more kilojoules even when you're resting,” explains Bienedell.
How often should I walk?
Fitness experts recommend walking three times a week, with rest days in between each walk. “These help to prevent injury and keep you motivated,” explains Bienedell.
Once the ‘bug bites’ and you begin to feel fitter, personal trainer Jane Kilian suggests supplementing walking with other training, or increasing your walking to five times a week for 30 to 60 minute intervals.
Walking workouts to get started with
Walking at different intensity levels can greatly alter the kind of workout you get. For example, there’s a big difference between a stroll on the beach and an aerobic walk where your heart rate is raised.
Start slowly, and try to work your way up. That is, begin with slow strolls in flat areas while you get into the routine of walking, and as your fitness progresses, or every few weeks, add more challenges to your walking workout.
These ‘challenges’ or additions can include extending the distance you walk, the amount of time you walk for, the intensity that you walk (aspire to a power walk), the addition of hand and ankle weights, and the incline that you walk at.
Kilian especially recommends walking in hilly areas if you’re wanting to tone your glute area (and who doesn’t want to!). “If you don’t have a hilly area near you, this can also be achieved with the incline setting on a treadmill,” she advises. “Alternating your walks between speed and incline to keep on challenging your body will really assist with weight loss.”
Only add one challenge or variable to your walking workout at a time, so as not to overwork yourself or lose motivation. Also, consider getting a fitness tracker to monitor your progress and keep yourself motivated.
Tips to make your walking workout more fun
The following suggestions can help to keep your walking workouts fun:
- Walk with a friend or in a group such as Run/Walk For Life
- Vary your routes, and the time of day that you walk
- Walk in places with beautiful scenery – like a walk in a park/next to the beach/on a trail
- Listen to your favourite music or an entertaining podcast – but only if it’s safe to do so, and not on busy roads!
- Set yourself challenges, for example, to improve on your time doing a particular stretch
- Enter an organised fun walk
- Take your dog along – you’ll both enjoy the excursion
- Download a running app and track your distance, progress, kilojoules burnt, etc.
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