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Experts' Favorite Walking Workouts

Experts' Favorite Walking Workouts

It matters how you walk, though.
A study in Journal of Applied Physiology found that walking quickly with hand and ankle weights was comparable to slow running. And research from the University of Virginia revealed that mixing short, fast walks with longer, more leisurely ones was an effective way for obese women to lose belly fat.


Walking can even help prevent disease. A study in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology showed that walking at a decent clip reduced participants’ risk of developing high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels as much as running.

It’s clear that our bodies were made to walk, but there’s more than one way to get the most out of those daily steps. We spoke to three experts with different approaches so you can choose the right method for you. Whether you’re time-pressed or want to ease into running, our experts have got you covered.

 

The Celebrity Trainer: David Kirsch

Kirsch, who has trained the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kate Upton, believes even the fittest people can benefit from walking more. “From a purely physiological standpoint, walking raises your heart rate and burns calories,” he says. “But it’s also a great way to increase your mind-body connection, focus on your breath, spend time in nature, meditate, and de-stress.”

David Kirsch’s go-to walking workout: For beginners, it’s all about working up to 10,000 steps a day, says Kirsch. That’s the preset daily goal on most fitness trackers because it’s considered a good target for heart health and weight maintenance. But after you’ve mastered that, challenge yourself to hit 15,000 to 25,000 daily steps.

“Ten thousand should become the bare minimum,” he says. To amp up the intensity of your walks, try a hilly landscape or wear two- to three-pound ankle and hand weights. You can also incorporate some toning exercises every few minutes, like jumping jacks, walking lunges, squats, or squat jumps suggests Kirsch.

Adding these moves in intervals will help you build muscle, improve heart health, and increase endurance. “Walking is so good for you,” he says. “It’s a great start and supplement to any wellness program.”

 

The Weight-Management Physician: Amy Rothberg, MD

“Walking is one of the best tools for weight maintenance,” says Dr. Rothberg, director of the University of Michigan’s Weight Management Clinic. “It’s aerobic, it engages some of the biggest muscles, and it’s feasible for most people.”

Dr. Rothberg’s go-to walking workout: To maintain a healthy weight, Dr. Rothberg recommends walking for at least 30 minutes five days a week. Some good news: You don’t have to log a half hour all at once. “You can do your 30 minutes in 10-minute bouts throughout the day,” she says, “and those add up.”

Plus, when you walk for shorter periods, you can generally go at a faster speed, which may be even better for you than walking slowly for 30 minutes straight, since more vigorous activities can help increase your overall fitness level. And even lower-intensity exercises like fast-paced walking can help burn some of the body’s stored fat. Walking in chunks can give you little boosts of confidence to keep you motivated, too.

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“Whether it’s parking farther away or walking to meet a colleague, you get a sense of accomplishment,” she says. “It’s these little successes that end up establishing good habits.”

 

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/02/health/best-walking-workouts-partner/index.html

 

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