If you’re having trouble sticking to a workout routine or finding it hard to push through the pain, walking is a great way to get started on a healthy habit. A great place to start is setting aside 30 minutes a day for a walk. It doesn’t require any fancy equipment, you can do it anytime, and it’s easy on the joints!
As a bonus, if you have a dog, you can give him plenty of exercise at that time as well! Check out our article on the health effects of owning a dog.
Depending on your speed and body weight, you can burn anywhere from 150 to 200 calories per 30 minute walk session. Not bad! Not only is this type of exercise heart-friendly, but it gets you in a fat-burn zone.
Short on time? No worries, you can break down the 30-minutes into intervals. As long as you do it throughout the day, you’re still getting the health benefits. Just focus on keeping up the intensity, so you don’t plateau. You need to challenge yourself as you ramp up the walking sessions.
Start with 3-4 walks a week and then move up to doing five to six scheduled walks. To keep things challenging, try alternating speeds. Go from power-walking to a slower pace and vice versa. Also, consider doing uphill climbs to challenge your glutes and accelerate the calorie burn.
However you choose to do it, simply keep it consistent and commit to doing a walk no matter what. Even if you feel under the weather, you can take a stroll and still get the benefits.
