Ahh...Spring is in BLOOM! Isn't it amazing how a long, cold Winter bursting into Spring can motivate you to get outdoors and get walking? Well, how about adding a little more "uummph" to your stroll outside to really ramp up some Springtime fitness!
Improving your heart health can be as easy as taking a simple
step—literally. In fact, walking is one of the best ways to lose
weight, boost your circulation and burn calories. According to the
American Heart Association, moderate-to-brisk walking can lower high
blood pressure, reduce the risk of developing diabetes, and lower
cholesterol levels. Of course, that's not all. The more you walk and
the harder you push yourself, the more benefits you'll reap. Walking
specialist and ExerciseTV personality Leslie Sansone shares seven
ways to power up your walks, so you can energize your whole body and
get your health on the right track, from MSN Health & Fitness:
1. Speed up.
Start by building up to a brisk pace. According to Sansone, that means
a 15-minute mile, or a pace of about 3.5 miles an hour. "The average
healthy person can walk a 20-minute mile," Sansone says. "But to reap
increased fitness benefits, you'll want to speed that up."
Start
by shaving a minute off your pace every two weeks, and don't be afraid
to push yourself- gently if need be- only you know your body best. But Sansone maintains, "Our bodies are made for power. We
pamper them too much. We need to take the fear away and recognize our
strength. And when you walk faster, you increase your calorie burn.
It's one of the healthiest things you can do, whether you need to lose
weight or not."
2. Head uphill. "Climbing works
the back, thigh and gluteal muscles much more than trekking on the
flats," Sansone says. "Walking around your neighborhood is more
challenging than a track because your body has to adapt to the terrain."
Sansone
suggests wearing a watch to pace yourself. "If you take off out your
door for 15 minutes and come back for 15 minutes, most likely you've
done a two-mile walk," she says.
3. Wear good shoes.
"A lot of people wear comfort shoes to walk, but you'll need either a
walking shoe or cross trainer for support and cushioning. It allows you
to walk stronger," says Sansone.
The same goes for indoor video
workouts, too. Sansone says that if your shoe is moving around, the impact gets thrown
back into your joints and you'll fatigue a lot faster.
4. Carry some weight.
Small hand weights- no more than three pounds per hand will help you tune your upper-body muscles even more. Controlling them, as opposed to swinging the weights helps tone your core muscles as they work to stabilize your body. Sansone suggests starting out with two-pound hand weights until your body becomes accustomed to the extra swing.
5. Lengthen your stride.
"You don't necessarily want to race walk, but lengthening your stride
and focusing on your hamstrings and glutes while you walk really powers
up your workout," Sansone says. "Your walk will be so brisk, it will
almost feel like a jog, but you'll actually burn more calories if you
stick to the walk." And this isn't the time to worry about overdoing it, or looking silly. Listen to your body. If it doesn't feel right, it's not. Find the stride that does feel right for you.
6.Vary your pace.
That means incorporate some running in your walking routine. "When your
body accelerates, it has to do so much to get everything going, and
your heart and lungs use a ton of calories. Every time you push into
acceleration, you increase your calorie burn," says Sansone.
Another
benefit? You'll beat boredom by turning your neighborhood into a
circuit training gym. (Think of running to your neighbor's mailbox, or
walking to the next telephone pole.)
7. Walk at home. That's right! Use a pedometer and walk in place. This becomes useful if April showers turn your walk back inside- pace
from one end of the house to another, up and down the steps, and circle the house- inside or out- again, still utilizing the power moves
you've work on.
Sansone suggests mixing things up with exercise bands and calisthenics. Before you know
it, you will have "circled the neighborhood" and worked all of the
muscles in your body without even leaving the house. Until the April showers end, and then you can get back outside to enjoy the May flowers!
John
Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com
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