CNN House Call -- Summer Workout
By Gin Miller
Start with Basic Walking
CNN House Call’s Summer Walking Workout is a great way
to get fit fast. All you need is a great pair of walking shoes,
a wristwatch and permission from your doctor to get started.
Before you begin this workout, you should be able to walk comfortably
for 30 minutes without stopping.
Good technique includes standing
tall, rolling from your heel through your toe, pushing off your
forefoot, and pumping your arms close to your sides at about
10 and 2 o’clock. Take a bottle of water and a hand towel
in case you perspire. If you are not able to walk
30 minutes continuously, simply build your base--start
today with a 10 minute walk, and then gradually increase your
walking duration 2-5 minutes each time you walk. Continue to
increase your walking time until you can walk the entire 30 minutes,
(about 1-4 weeks), without stopping. Now you’re ready to
start our interval-walking program outlined for you below.
Faster (Interval) Walking
Each interval workout, (see below), starts with a 10 minute
warm-up that includes strolling and stretching, making sure that
the first 3-5 minutes of walking are slower than your steady
walking pace. To test yourself, after a 10 minute warm up, pick
up the pace for at least 10-30 seconds. If you don’t have
a watch, choose a point 100 yards in the distance and walk towards
it. How do you feel? Can you manage 4 or five more 30-second
segments? To increase your walking speed, bend your arms so the
elbows form a 90-degree angle. Then pump them at a faster pace
than your usual walking motion. Take a shorter stride and your
legs will keep pace with your arms. Interval Walking (IW), are
bouts of faster walking periods, followed by a recovery or resting
walk. Interval walking can be quite a bit faster than your normal
pace, (if you really want to push it, walk as fast as you can
manage for the duration of the interval).
Every faster interval you do benefits your body more than ordinary
walking. As you walk faster, your body responds immediately.
For instance, your heart will beat faster indicating a higher
demand for oxygen. This strengthens your heart and increases
your blood flow. You’ll work your muscles harder and develop
new muscle fiber. You’ll burn calories faster. You’ll
boost your fitness by teaching your body to hold a faster pace.
After 30 seconds of fast walking, relax and walk at a steady
stroll for a full minute. This is called your recovery interval.
Walk slowly, allowing your breathing to return to normal, and
then speed up for another 30 seconds. That’s it-- Spring
Into Fitness Interval Walking Workout. Repeat this pattern as
often as you like. (Just a reminder, the recovery interval should
be about twice as long as your walking interval). After you’ve
completed your Interval Walking Workout, remember to cool down
for approximately 10 minutes with stretches for calves, shin
muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and low back.
Download the workout - Adobe PDF file
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