Interval Walking ProgramsBurn More Fat and CaloriesAdding interval walking is a great way to burn extra fat and calories and lose weight. Interval walking (incorporating interval training into your walks) simply means alternating bursts of intense, high activity with bursts of lighter activity. 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. Walking to lose weight is a safe, healthy and enjoyable way to shed pounds and get fit. Incorporating interval training can help you accomplish your fitness and weight loss goals quicker. Interval Training and WalkingInterval training is easy to incorporate into your walking routine. As you add interval training to your walks, start slowly.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 WorkoutsBefore beginning your workout, review these helpful walking tips to help you get the most out of your walks.
* 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 training and walking is a powerful combination for weight loss. 1. 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. 2. Break your walk into five-minute intervals and vary the length of the high intensity bursts. 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. 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 Return From Interval Walking to Walking to Lose Weight
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