Exercise advice: 8 methods to turn brisk walking into a total-body workout – PUNE PULSE

By Khushi Maheshwari 

Walking is an excellent kind of exercise if you could only do one thing for the rest of your life. It’s among the easiest and most convenient types of physical activity. It’s also reasonably priced and free.

Though it has many advantages, most people only consider walking as a means of transportation from point A to point B. Walking is fantastic for your heart and circulation, helps you lose weight, improves your brain and creative faculties, balances your mood, speeds up your metabolism, encourages deeper sleep, and much more. You may make your regular stroll into a full-body workout by adding a few innovative strategies.

Just picture transforming your stroll into a workout that targets your arms, shoulders, core, and even your head! It’s not as hard as you would think, and you don’t need expensive equipment or a gym membership.

All set to exude enthusiasm on your walk? Here are some tips from Rohit Sakunia, the founder of ArtE Media Tech, a pan-India full-stack agency, on how to make your stroll productive from head to toe.

Certainly! Here’s an expanded and fully paraphrased version with additional detail:

1. Energize Your Walking Stride: Speed walking isn’t just for leisurely strolls anymore. Boost your pace to elevate your heart rate and maximize calorie expenditure. Focus on maintaining proper posture—shoulders back, core engaged—and swing your arms vigorously. Picture it as a purposeful, strong march. If you track your steps with a pedometer, challenge yourself with intervals of faster walking. Achieving and surpassing these challenges provides a rewarding dopamine rush, boosting motivation and satisfaction with your workout.

2. Integrate Interval Training: Keep your walking routine dynamic by incorporating intervals of higher intensity. Alternate between brisk walking and short bursts of faster walking or light jogging. This approach keeps your body adaptable and enhances cardiovascular fitness over time.

3. Incorporate Arm Exercises: Why limit your workout to your legs? Enhance your routine by carrying light hand weights or using water bottles for exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder presses, or triceps extensions as you walk. This transforms your walk into a comprehensive full-body workout, enhancing muscular endurance and toning your arms effectively.

4. Make Use of Terrain: Seek out inclines or stairs during your walk to add variety and challenge. Walking uphill engages your glutes, hamstrings, and calves more intensely while also improving cardiovascular endurance. For an added challenge and to target your lower body further, try incorporating lunges uphill.

5. Engage Your Core: Focus on maintaining a strong core by practicing good posture throughout your walk. Activate your abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine. Additionally, include standing side crunches or twists to target your obliques, improving core stability and strength.

6. Incorporate Walking Lunges: Break up the monotony of a straight walk by integrating walking lunges into your route. Pause every few minutes to perform a set of lunges, which not only strengthen your legs and glutes but also enhance your balance and flexibility over time.

7. Utilize Resistance Bands: Add variety and resistance to your workout by bringing along resistance bands. Perform exercises like rows, chest presses, side steps, and squats to target different muscle groups. These portable pieces of equipment increase the intensity of your movements, promoting muscle strength and toning during your walk.

8. Add Dynamic Moves: Infuse enjoyment and variety into your routine with playful and dynamic movements such as skipping, side shuffles, or high knees. These not only elevate your heart rate but also make your workout more enjoyable and less predictable.

By integrating these strategies into your walking regimen, you’ll not only enhance your physical fitness but also keep your workouts engaging and effective. Each element targets different facets of fitness—from cardiovascular health and calorie burn to muscle strength and flexibility—ensuring a comprehensive and rewarding exercise session every time you step out for a walk.