Brisk walk heart rate how to#

Nordic walking - Nordic walking, which uses ski-like poles, has proven benefits.Think walking is boring? Then try these alternatives: Because it is challenging, it will also burn more calories. The uneven surfaces may stimulate acupressure points on the soles of the feet, regulating blood pressure. Physiologists at the Oregon Research Institute have found cobblestone walking lowers blood pressure and improves balance. Walking on cobblestones or rocky ground may have even more benefits. Every time your foot hits the ground, it creates a small depression so that the leg muscles must work harder to push upwards and forwards for the next step. Walking on softer surfaces such as mud, sand or grass also uses more energy than walking on concrete. Going downhill, you have to contract your leg muscles to work against gravity and slow your descent.

'On really steep inclines, it's not unusual for even a fit person's heart rate to increase by about 20 percent,' says Knight. 'Try to get into a pattern, counting the number of steps to each in-and-out breath, making it the same each time.'Īdding hills to your route will speed up calorie burning. 'It is very easy, once you start concentrating on the movement, to forget about breathing,' says Knight. Transfer your weight through the heel of your right foot. as your left arm moves forward, your right moves back). Leading with the heel, take a step forward with your right foot and move your arms in opposition (i.e. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and cup your hands lightly, rather than clenching your fists. Stand tall with your arms by your sides and pull your navel towards your spine so that your core muscles are working.įocus your eyes five to six meters ahead and keep your shoulders relaxed. 'Without it you will struggle to increase your pace and your weight loss will plateau,' says Knight. To burn fat quickly and effectively, you should master power-walking.

Sunday: Walk 60 minutes at a moderate pace.

Saturday: Walk 50 minutes at a fast pace.

Tuesday to Friday: Walk 45 minutes at a moderate pace one day and 50 minutes the next day.

Sunday: Walk 45 minutes at a moderate pace.

Tuesday to Friday: Walk for 25 minutes at a moderate pace one day, 30 minutes the next.

Monday to Saturday: Walk ten minutes at a moderate pace.

'In just three months, the results should speak for themselves,' says Knight. With each, you should aim to progress by increasing the duration of your walk by five minutes every two weeks, and the intensity by walking faster. Knight suggests the following workout plans, depending on your level of fitness. You would probably need to tot up at least 16,000 steps a day to lose weight. Health experts recommend that we should walk 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) to stay healthy, yet most Britons walk only 4,500 steps.

Brisk walk heart rate how to#

Here's how to walk your way to weight loss and wellness: 'For people suffering from depression, walking three to four times a week for 30 minutes has been shown to enhance their mood,' says Knight.Įven if a 20 minute power walk at lunchtime is all you manage, after six weeks it could be comparable to a course of psychotherapy, psychologists at the University of Illinois found. 'The pull of a muscle against a bone, together with the force of gravity when you walk, will stress the bone - which responds by stimulating tissue growth and renewal.'īest of all, walking makes you feel good about yourself.

'Bones are like muscles in the way that they get stronger and denser the more demands you place on them,' Knight says. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts medical school found that people who walked every day had 25 percent fewer colds than those who were sedentary.īecause walking is a weight-bearing exercise, it can also help prevent the bone disease osteoporosis. Last year, researchers at the University of Colorado found that regular walking helped to prevent peripheral artery disease (which impairs blood flow in the legs and causes leg pain in one-fifth of elderly people). Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh recently revealed that overweight people who walked briskly for 30 to 60 minutes a day lost weight even if they didn't change any other lifestyle habits.Īnother American study found that people who walked for at least four hours a week gained less weight (an average nine pounds less) than couch potatoes as they got older. There is much evidence of the benefits of walking. All you need to do is correct your technique, walk faster and for longer and you will lose weight.' 'It is free, enjoyable and already a part of everyday life. 'Walking is a refreshing alternative to complicated aerobic routines and overpriced gym memberships,' says personal trainer Lucy Knight, author of a new book on the exercise.