6 Simple Ways to Pump Up Your Walks

Go ahead and try these 6 simple ways to pump up your walks. There’s nothing to lose except some pounds. This is an article I wrote for Family Circle.

STEP 1 – BUILD YOUR BASE

Start by focusing on distance and good form—you’re not trying to win a race. If you’re new to walking, gradually build up to 30 minutes. Both novices and regular walkers (who make 45 minutes their goal) need to think about posture: shoulders back, elbows in, chin up. And no arching the lower back or sticking out your butt. This solid foundation will help you avoid injury while making it easy to add in additional challenges, like the ones following.

STEP 2 – MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS

While you’re walking, think about how hard you’re pushing yourself. On an exertion scale from 0 to 10 (with 0 being “easy” and 10 being “very, very difficult”) you want to go beyond the 3 or 4 most people settle on. Crank it up to a 6 or 7 to get fat-burning engines revved and running. How do you know you’re there? Do the talk test. You should be walking swiftly enough so that you can talk a little but find it difficult to carry on a conversation. If you’re walking alone, it should be a struggle to sing along with your music for more than a few verses.

STEP 3 – MUSCLE UP

Twice a week skip walking and zero in on upper-body strength—you’ll increase your metabolism even while at rest. Plus, strong arms, shoulders, back, and chest propel you forward, meaning you’ll walk faster and burn more calories. Use light weights or resistance tubes to work your entire upper body with 4 easy moves (3 sets, 15 reps each): biceps curls, triceps extensions, overhead presses, and one-armed rows.

STEP 4 – SPEED IT UP

The number-one way to dramatically increase calorie burn is by doing intervals. For 3 minutes push yourself until you’re at a 7 or 8, then recover for a full minute back at a 3. Repeat a few times throughout your walk. If you find you no longer need the recovery period, push a little harder during the intervals.

STEP 5 – FOCUS ON THE TOES

While you’re walking, concentrate on actively pulling up your toes as your legs swing forward. Engaging the front part of your calf (the tibialis muscle) will strengthen your leg muscles and help move you forward more quickly.

STEP 6 – WALK THE LINE

On your next walk, imagine a thin, straight line in front of you. Adjust your stride so that the inside of your foot touches this imaginary line each time you take a step. Walking the line forces you to rotate your pelvis and extend your hips slightly, which lengthens your stride and allows you to cover more distance in less time—and burn even more calories.

BURN 3X MORE FAT THAN YOUR ORDINARY WALK!

…Walk off the pounds, improve energy, and increase overal muscle tone with LeanWalk, a 6-week walking makeover!

✅ Burn 3x more fat than your ordinary walk
✅ Target belly fat
✅ Improve your mood, outlook, and energy
✅ Increase overall health and wellbeing
✅ Relieve joint pain
✅ Discover the easiest weight loss secret to shedding extra pounds

Walking Audios to Turn Your Outdoor Walk Into a Workout

LeanWalk is a complete aerobic program designed around walking. It’s a true “no-excuse workout.” The program consists of five audio workouts that incorporate a dynamic concept called “periodization.”

In simple terms, periodization is a valuable tool that can help you get the most out of your exercise program, especially if you’ve hit a plateau.

It works by varying one or more of the three key aspects of your workout… length, activity, and intensity.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

It’s easy to follow, and each week adjusts either the duration or intensity. By changing what you ask your body to do, this program challenges you so you can keep making fitness progress.

✅ WEEK 1 – Build the foundation by developing proper walking techniques.
✅ WEEK 2 – Enhance stamina and endurance
✅ WEEK 3 – Burn more calories with short interval bursts
✅ WEEK 4 – Challenge the intensity with longer intervals
✅ WEEK 5 – Add resistance training to the end of the walk
✅ WEEK 6 – Prepare to walk for life with intervals that are closer together

HERE’S WHAT’S INCLUDED
….5 WALKING AUDIOS to turn your outdoor walk into a workout and 1 BONUS indoor walking video…

✅ Power Walk Audio – High-intensity walk with short interval bursts
✅ Pump Up The Pace Audio – Brief interval bursts to break through any weight loss plateaus
✅ Walk It Off Audio – Coaches you on the proper techniques to get the most out of your workout!
✅ 30/15 Total Body Tune-Up Audio – 30-minute rolling hills walk with 15 minutes of resistance training
✅ 30/15 Core Walk Audio – 30-minute interval training walk topped off with 15 minutes of results-driven core training
✅ BONUS Fat-Burning Walking INDOOR VIDEO – When you can’t go outside, try this 45-minute indoor walking workout