Interval Walking Programs

Burn More Fat and Calories

Can interval walking help you burn extra fat and calories AND lose weight quicker? You bet it can! Many experts say that walking for 30 minutes using an interval program is as effective as walking at a steady pace for 60 minutes.

Interval training also strengthens your heart and lungs and provides a great physical challenge to your body. It truly is one of the best ways to improve your fitness level and lose weight as quickly (yet safely) as possible.

Interval walking (incorporating interval training into your walks) simply means alternating bursts of intense, high activity with bursts of lighter activity.

The bursts of lighter activity are also called recovery periods because you are allowing your heart rate and breathing to slow down a bit to prepare for the next high intensity interval.

All you need to get started is your favorite pair of walking shoes (if you need some recommendations, don't miss this list of the best walking shoes ) and perhaps some great walking music.

This article will focus on a form of interval training known as Fartlek, which is a Swedish term for “speed play”.

Fartlek is a casual form of interval training in which you decide the intensity of each interval based upon how you feel that day.

Interval walking has many benefits, which include:

Burns more calories. During those bursts of high activity, you will burn more calories than simply walking at a steady pace at a lower speed.

Improves your cardiovascular fitness. Strengthen your heart and improves your overall fitness level.

Burns more fat. You’ll burn more body fat than just walking at a steady, continuous pace.

Beats the boredom. Interval training adds variety to your walking routine.

Avoids the plateau. Interval training constantly challenges your body and prevents it from adapting and reaching a plateau, which slows your weight loss progress.

Interval Training and Walking

At first, add only one or two 5-minute high intensity intervals to your walks until you build your stamina. Ultimately, change one or two of your entire walks per week into an interval training program.

Interval walking requires you to increase the intensity of your walking for a short burst, then return to your normal walking pace to recover and prepare for the next high intensity burst.

There are two ways to increase the intensity of your walking:

1. Increase the speed at which you are walking. You can simply walk at a faster pace during the high intensity intervals.

2. Increase the resistance level. Find some hills to walk up or increase the incline on the treadmill during the high intensity intervals.

The length of each interval is entirely up to you and should be based upon how you are feeling that day.

During the bursts of high activity, increase your pace or resistance level enough so that you find it difficult to hold a conversation. Following this “talk test” will help you determine if you are expending enough energy to be considered high intensity.

During the bursts of lower intensity, also called the recovery intervals, you should slow your pace or decrease the resistance level until your heart beat and breathing slow down. This is the time to recover from the previous high intensity burst and to give your body a brief rest before beginning the next high intensity burst.

Interval Walking Workouts

* Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes first by walking until you become warm and feel your heart beat a little quicker.

* Trust your body and slow down if you feel overtired or are in any pain. It will take a few weeks to build your stamina, but you will soon begin to see the benefits. Interval walking is a powerful way to lose weight.

1. Beginner Workout: After warming up, walk at your normal pace for two minutes, then add a burst of high intensity for one minute. Then return to your normal pace for two minutes and then add another burst of high intensity for one minute. Continue this pattern for the rest of your workout. And, if this is too difficult, you can increase the length of the low intensity walking to three or four minutes.

2. Intermediate Workout: After warming up, walk for two minutes at your normal pace, then increase your speed or resistance level for two minutes. Then return to your normal walking pace for two minutes and once again increase your pace or resistance level for another two minutes. Continue this pattern for your entire walk.

During your high intensity bursts, you can walk briskly, jog or just climb a hill. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being exercising at your highest possible level, aim for a level of 7 to 8 of exertion.

Interval Walking Tips - Maximize Your Workout

Tip #1: Break your walk into five-minute intervals and vary the length of the high intensity bursts within each 5-minute interval.

For example, the first high intensity burst could last for 30 seconds, followed by four and a half minutes of walking at your normal pace. The next interval could consist of a one-minute high intensity burst followed by four minutes of walking at your regular pace.

Feel free to vary the length of the high intensity bursts during the five-minute intervals based upon how you feel. In fact, it's best to continue to change the ratio of short intensity to high intensity to always challenge your body.

Tip #2: To really give yourself a good workout, try to minimize the recovery time between your high intensity intervals. For example, try to walk quickly for four minutes, then give yourself only a minute of slower intensity/recovery time before beginning the next high intensity interval. Try to do this a couple times within your workout.

Incorporate interval walking into fitness walking and you'll find it easier to lose weight and achieve overall fitness. Interval training is a powerful weight loss tool that burns fat and calories while strengthening your cardiovascular system.

If you use Tunes, download this FREE interval walking podcast. It features Prevention Magazine's fitness expert Chris Freytag as she leads you through a 16-minute interval workout. You can download it at

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