Category: Fitness Walking

Short and easy  workouts are just what  you think: short and easy.  They are the least demanding in both intensity and length. These workouts are intended to be easily accomplished and not overly strenuous. Although short and easy, you should be able to walk a mile without taking  a break in about 20 to 25…

Cross-training is just a fancy term for mixing up and balancing your fitness activities. Think of it as fitness grazing. It should be fun and keep your body  healthy and your mind alert. More and more people are discovering cross-training and consider it a part of their routine and not anything special. According to a…

No fitness program can  be  considered well  rounded without exercises to increase muscle strength. Because of the  vigorous arm  swing, walking  tones upper-body muscles more than running (good distance-running form demands that participants carry their arms more passively, which achieves little if any muscle conditioning). Walking’s arm  movement and  upper-back engagement isn’t enough, though, to…

Avoid coming to a dead stop when  you’re  done with  your  walking  workout. Just  as you had  to allow your  heart, mind, and muscles to get used to the idea that you were  picking  up the  pace, you have  to give them the  same chance to realize you’re slowing down. A cool-down is exactly what…

When you begin  a workout, every part of your needs to ease into it—certainly your muscles—but also your heart and your mind. A muscle after a day at work or a night’s  sleep is like cold  taffy: Bend it, and  it cracks, splinters, or snaps. When it’s warm,  it’s soft and  pliable. A warm-up prepares…

As you head out  the  door, you may want  to determine how fast you’re  going, how  far you’re  going,  how  many  calories you’re  using,  and  if you’re  walking hard (or  easy) enough. You should start a workout log so  you  can  monitor your  progress. Use the  Figure 4.2 as a template. Determining Your Pace To…

Another aspect of planning your walking program is determining where to walk. Remember that your  schedule, available time,  and  type  of workout planned play  a role in where you head. Here  are  a few possibilities with  descriptions of their advantages. Treadmill. The sample programs describe outdoor workouts. One of the joys of walking  is getting…

Everyone should take time to contemplate something like an  exercise and walking program before getting started. It’s a big step that takes commitment, time, and learning how to tune in to your  body. In fact, if addressed correctly, these preliminary steps can be instrumental in your  success as you learn to make walking a part…

Although many of you may be taking up a walking program to lose weight (and it is indeed effective with consistency), don’t  starve your body for energy or forget to hydrate properly. Food is energy. It fuels your exercise, and that keeps you putting one foot in front  of the  other. That said,  you won’t…

Walking’s  beauty is certainly its simplicity, but a few extra items or tubes stuffed in a bag can make you more comfortable. Your budding interest might also  heed the  call of an array of other helpful gadgets. Strange as it may seem, petroleum jelly is probably a walker’s best friend. Spread a little on your…