Whether it was first thing in the morning when the sun was rising, a short 20-minute power trot on your lunch hour, or an after-dinner promenade, the basic walk has proved a lifesaver for many people during the pandemic.
According to Kenny Butler, head of health and wellbeing development at UKactive, the benefits of a daily walk include maintaining a healthy weight, preventing and managing long-term health conditions (such as diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension), lubricating the legs, and strengthening the leg muscles.
Here are five strategies to make your daily walk more effective. It will be beneficial to your body.
1. Quicken Your Pace.
While a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood fields is lovely, Butler claims that the health advantages of walking are best seen when you walk quickly. You should still be able to speak, but you should notice a change in your breathing pattern when you move. You've gone too far if you're out of breath.
Simply said, you need to pick up the pace a little. This will increase your heart rate, allowing you to benefit from the cardiovascular benefits. If you're walking with someone else, however, you should be able to converse.
If you can't keep up, Jemma Thomas, a personal trainer and the founder of Jemma's Health Hub, suggests alternating between a fast power walk for two minutes, then a slower stroll for two minutes, and so on.
This raises the heart rate and then allows for recuperation, according to her, and can be a beneficial technique to improve fitness.
According to Butler, “people don't equate walking with cardiovascular fitness.” “A stroll will not provide you with a cardio exercise, but stepping up a notch above a stroll will provide you with a cardio workout. That's intense enough to put the cardiovascular system to work, increasing the demands on the muscles and heart.”
2. It's Up to You!
Exaggerating your arm swinging while ramping up the tempo might also serve to test the upper body. Grab a couple light hand weights and add them to your stroll to boost the workout, advises Thomas, if you're feeling really brave (and don't care what others think).
3. Socialize it.
Workouts are most effective when they strengthen both your body and mind. If you can find a local walking group or a walking partner, you will not only reap the physical benefits of walking, but you will also reap the social benefits, which are beneficial to your mental health.
It also makes you more accountable because you're less likely to skip a stroll if you have arrangements to meet up with people.
4. A Long Way Up.
Over the last year, you may have been repeating the same 2-kilometer path. As a result, begin to push yourself to walk for longer periods of time each time.
According to Butler, progressively increasing the distance provides higher health benefits and aids in the prevention of de-conditioning, which has afflicted many people in lockdown. The absence of physical activity has resulted in a reduction in body function, which is not good news. However, gradually increasing your walking distance can be really beneficial.
5. Raise the Angle of the Incline
It's even nicer if you live near a hill. The better the training, the more difficult the terrain. “Try to locate a steeper path and really power walk it with large strides and arm motions where your arms are pounding through at your sides to raise your heart rate,” Thomas advises. “The hill's steepness will be excellent for strengthening muscles like the hips and leg muscles.”