Walking is a great exercise that promotes better blood pressure and heart health. It is an exercise that can be performed by people of all ages; however, you should follow a walking plan to get the most effective results from your walks.
Following a walking-plan can help you work your way towards a more toned body. They teach you how to gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking every week so that you can brisk walk for long durations without getting tired.
With the right plan, you can learn to brisk walk for long enough that your metabolism is kicked into high gear. This raised metabolism burns more fat and can give your leg muscles a more toned appearance.
Try the following walking-plan if you want to start brisk walking regularly.
Walking-plan
Before you can start walking, you should learn to use the right walking posture. This posture features a straight back that isn’t leaning forwards or backwards. Your eyes should be focused in front, and your chin should be parallel to the ground.
You should also be wearing comfortable walking or running shoes that help you maintain your balance.
First week
In the first week you should be walking 15-minutes per day, 5 times a week. The remaining 2 days are for resting, and should be spread out appropriately. If you’re starting your walking plan on a Monday, you should rest on Thursday and Sunday.
Your walking speed during the first week should be slow to moderate paced to help your body get acquainted with walking for extended periods of time. You should aim to walk a weekly total of 60 minutes at minimum.
Second week
You should continue to walk 5 times a week during the second week; however, your walking time should increase to 20 minutes per day. Your weekly walking total should be at least 80 minutes during this stage.
You can try and increase your walking speed during this week too. However, walking too fast could tire you out before you’ve reached your daily walking goal. So be sure to adjust your speed accordingly.
Third week
Similar to the previous week, you should add five minutes to your daily walking time, so that you’re walking at least 25 minutes per day. Your weekly goal should be a minimum of 100 minutes.
Fourth week
You should walk 30 minutes a day during the fourth week. Your weekly target should be a minimum of 120 minutes.
Most people should have no trouble following this simple walking plan. If you’re having difficulty walking for the durations specified in the later weeks, you can repeat your walking duration for the current week and gradually increase your walking time when you’ve built up enough stamina.
Walking regularly can greatly improve your health and get you looking toned, so get moving today with the help of this walking plan!