Part 1: Your weekday plan
Mark Fenton, author of the new book The Complete Guide to Walking, New and Revised: For Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness, designed these interval workouts to give you the most calorie-burn in the least amount of time—and to work around your busy schedule. Three days per week, choose one of the following 15-minute walks and complete it twice that day, either all at once or at two different times. If the workouts are too challenging at first, substitute two moderate 15-minute walks each day until you get more fit. (Just be sure to do 5 minutes of easy walking to warm up before and cool down after each walk.)
Walk 1. Alternate brisk and moderate walking between landmarks (speed up to the mailbox, slow down to the telephone pole, etc.) for 15 minutes.
Walk 2. Alternate moderate walking, brisk walking, and jogging for 40 seconds each; that equals 1 cycle. Do a total of 3 cycles, walk slowly for 3 minutes, then do 3 more cycles.
Walk 3. Find a long hill. Walk briskly uphill for 2 minutes, then walk back down at a moderate or easy pace. Repeat the process, walking uphill for 3 minutes, then for 2 minutes.
Part 2: Your weekend routine
Do one of these 50-minute walks on Saturday and one on Sunday. Both burn megacalories, so you’ll still lose weight even if you’ve had to scrimp on one of your weekday walks. (Warm up and cool down for 5 minutes before and after each walk.)
Walk 1. Note your start location and walk at a moderate pace for 25 minutes. Then walk as fast as you can back to your start point, trying to get there in 23 minutes.
Walk 2. Walk briskly for 4 minutes, then slow to a moderate pace for 5 minutes. Follow with 8 minutes brisk and 5 minutes moderate, then 16 minutes brisk and 5 minutes moderate. Finish with 8 minutes at a brisk pace.
Why walk? It keeps weight off—76 percent of people tracked through the National Weight Control Registry who’ve lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for five-plus years walk regularly for exercise.
By Tracy Teare
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Comments (3)
I have been using these tips on walking and jogging and it has really helped. I have been dropping pounds (20 so far) along with following a good diet. For me it has been a key to do both walk/jog and follow a diet. This site reviews a few good diets and I found one that works for me:
http://tinyurl.com/6kufep
i’M 70 YEARS OLD AND TRIED THE GYM AND THE TREDMILL FOR OVER A YEAR AND ENDED UP WITH FEET PROBLEMS SUCH AS HEEL AND OTHER FEET PROBLEMS. I DID LOOSE ABOUT 30 POUNDS AND LIKED THE WORKOUT.AFTER A LAY OFF FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS I WENT BACK AND I LOST INTYEREST. NOW I’M THINKING ABOUT WALKING A FEW MILES EVERY OTHER DAY BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE MY 2 DOGS ALONG. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE DOGS GOING WITH ME?
I think it’s fine to take the dogs unless they keep you from walking for most of the time. Of course, they will need a short break for taking care of business, but other than that, they should be willing to walk with you. Actually, it is more pleasant in my opinion to walk with a dog. I always take my Yorkie, named Little Bit. She gets so excited about walking and we both enjoy it.