The Truth About Walking for Fitness

By Danna Snow, CFT, of the Adventure Fitness Studio

There’s been a lot of mixed info in the media regarding walking for fitness. I’d like to shed some light on the subject for you. Walking is an excellent way to get out and move. It is the perfect place to begin when you’ve been inactive and are beginning to work toward a more active lifestyle. Now, the problem is that people stop there… They begin walking and they continue to just walk. They follow the same walking route for the same length of time without much variation. Why is this a problem?

After you begin a walking program your body will adjust to that level of exercise within
approximately two weeks if done consistently. After this two week period, the benefits
from your walking become much less. Don’t get me wrong, walking is much better than
doing nothing at all. What I’m saying is, in order to continue to have more and more
benefits from a walking program, you need to walk with a purpose and a plan.

If you normally walk for sixty minutes on the same path everyday, you need to add a
little more demand to the walk. For example, for the first five minutes, walk a
comfortable pace. For the next two minutes pick up the pace so you are having to
breath a bit heavier. Then for the next three minutes slow your pace back down to the
original pace. Repeat this process for the normal sixty minute walk and you’ll find you’ve
worked a bit harder than usual. Your body needs this demand and welcomes the
change.

If you’re walking with a friend and need the time to visit, just set one of your watches to
chime every couple minutes and that will signal you to either speed up or slow down
without having to lose that valuable chatting time.

If you’re in good health, try walk/jogging . Begin your walk by walking for five minutes.
Then jog for five minutes. Return to walking for five minutes and then repeat the jog,
etc. Continue for the remainder of your sixty minutes. For variety, you can increase the
time you spend jogging and decrease the walking time.
If your walk normally consists of walking for 1.5 miles, you can do a similar variation.
Begin your walk normally. Then speed walk for one block. After that block, slow your
pace back down for one block. Then speed walk the next block, etc. continue this for the
entire 1.5 miles and you’ll have a much greater benefit from your walk.
Just remember, walking with a purpose and a plan will give you a much greater benefit
than just going for a walk.