Lose weight, tone up and boost your energy with a daily 30-minute stroll

ANYONE who says you need to hit the gym every day to get in shape is wrong.

One of the most underrated forms of exercise is the good old-fashioned walk. It’s an everyday activity, but it can provide a range of health benefits, from improving your mood to boosting your energy levels.

One study even found that 30 minutes of walking, five days a week, lowered your risk of coronary heart disease by 19%.*

Personal trainer Louise Barton says walking can also help ease joint pain, which is particularly beneficial for anyone who suffers from degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis. 

“Walking can even help improve your immune system,” adds Louise.

“Being exposed to the outdoors, different weather conditions and simply leading a more active lifestyle can help strengthen antibodies, which in turn can help fight off illness.”

Plus, a good stroll blows away the cobwebs and helps beat feelings of stress and anxiety, thanks to the release of endorphins in the brain it triggers.

As for calories, expect to burn around 150 for every 30 minutes of brisk walking, which entails putting your arms to work for extra speed and momentum. Jogging, on the other hand, involves more bounce off the balls of your feet – it’s higher impact and you tend to move faster.

Amble your way to fitness by giving these simple tips a try…

Dress to impress

Donning jeans, boots and a woolly jumper is great if you’re heading out on a leisurely stroll in the countryside. But if you want to make your walk a little more active, you need to opt for appropriate clothing – after all, you wouldn’t wear heels on a bike, or joggers for a swim! Comfortable trainers and breathable clothing, such as leggings and Lycra, are ideal for a brisk walk. You want freedom of movement while still keeping warm. 

Stairway to heaven

Following a route that includes a flight of stairs or steps can help with the calorie burn. In fact, climbing stairs can eliminate an extra 10 calories per minute, which might sound like a tiny amount, but over time it soon builds up.

Louise says there are many great benefits to taking the stairs. “Not only does it get your legs burning and help to naturally strengthen the muscles in your legs, hip and glutes, but you naturally engage all of your abdominal muscles, too – and your cardiovascular fitness will love you for it.”Clambering up steps can also test and improve balance, something that deteriorates as we age.

Head for the hills

When you’re walking up stairs, there’s a minuscule break on each step for your muscles to relax before going again. Tackle an incline, though, and your muscles will 

be worked even harder as they remain under tension for longer. So head for your nearest hill to push your heart and lungs, as well as toning your lower body – without a squat or a weight in sight. Your calorie burn can also increase by a staggering 100 calories per 30 minutes.

hurry up and weight  Weights can really amp up a walk. But you don’t need to go out and buy a set of dumb-bells to carry around the park, especially if you’re not used to lifting weights, as this could cause you an injury. Instead, Louise recommends placing a couple of bags of rice or sugar in a backpack, or walking with wrist and/or ankle weights.

“Adding a form of resistance to your walk places more pressure on your muscles, helping to tone and strengthen,” she says.

Get pacy

It sounds obvious, but the quicker you walk, the more calories you’ll burn in a shorter amount of time. Try walking with verve – pump your arms and exaggerate your movements to speed up your heart rate.

Louise also suggests adding speedier sections into a normal-paced walk every now and again, especially if you find it a struggle to maintain a brisk walk. “Walk as fast as you can for a couple of minutes, then take it back down to a normal pace for a minute and repeat several times for 30 minutes.”

Feel the squeeze

To make your muscles work that little bit harder, try squeezing them intermittently as you walk. For example, on your way up a hill, actively contract your glute muscles for as long as you can.

Then, on a flatter stretch, squeeze your abs, hold for five to 10 seconds and then release. Do this on and off for three minutes. 

Beat it!

It makes sense that if you’re walking to music with a fast tempo, you’ll naturally walk more quickly, in turn getting your heart rate up and boosting your fitness. Turn the tempo down, and you may naturally slow down.

So plug in your headphones and choose music with a tempo of around 100 beats per minute - one study reckons it’s the dream tempo for keeping a “brisk” pace.**

Google “100bpm songs” and you’ll be inundated with suitable tracks to bop along to while you walk – from Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love to Superstition by Stevie Wonder.

HIIT me up

To get a real sweat on, adding bursts of HIIT (high intensity interval training) to a walk is a great way to achieve a good workout in a short space of time. Bouts of cardio, such as squats, star jumps and burpees, are ideal.

“For instance, once you reach 1,000 steps, add in an exercise such as 10 star jumps. After another 1,000 steps, opt for 10 squats. Do this 10 times, until you hit 10,000 steps – the recommended daily target,” says Louise.

A wrist tracker is an easy way to monitor your steps. Most smartphones now come with step counters built in, though this does mean having to carry your phone wherever you go.

Jog on

Once you’ve nailed your walking workout, you could add in a few short intervals of jogging. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean doing anything too strenuous. If you’re wearing the right footwear – ideally cushioned running trainers, not hard-soled shoes – try some gentle jogging, landing lightly on the balls of your feet and maintaining an upright torso.

There’s no need to jog for a solid 30 minutes. Instead, mix things up – walk briskly for five minutes, then jog for the next five. Keep alternating between the two and over time, aim to increase the time you spend jogging. Upping the pace means a greater calorie burn and is an ideal way to boost your fitness.