Tired of the same walking playlist and looking for a new way to make the miles fly by? Try interval training, a dynamic workout that will increase your endurance and speed.
Interval training alternates periods of brisk walking followed by a slower recovery period. For those lacing up their sneakers for their first interval walk, each period of higher-intensity walking should only be about one minute for every five minutes walked at a moderate pace. As the walker’s stamina improves, their periods of rest get shorter.
The workout is designed to allow walkers to get more bang for their buck, completing a less time-consuming workout while still enjoying the fitness benefits of a longer, more moderately-paced workout.
Healthy heart
According to Canadian Science Publishing, by getting their hearts pumping, walkers can expect improved physical fitness, with reductions in blood pressure and BMI lowering the overall risk of lifestyle-related disease.
Hopping on the treadmill for an incline workout combines muscle building with the health benefits of high-intensity walking. In addition to being another low-impact way to work out, incline training targets the quads and glutes to build strength and improve flexibility in the legs, according to the faith-based, non-profit health system Texas Health Resources.
Building muscular strength isn’t only important for bodybuilders and gym rats. As stated by News in Health, it offers a whole host of health benefits, from preventing diabetes to maintaining bone health.
In fact, according to Runner’s World, walking on an incline has similar benefits to running. The inclined terrain provides resistance that pushes the heart and lungs to work harder.
Implementing intervals
For those who enjoy their daily walks outdoors, let certain landmarks on your route dictate your intervals. Pick up the pace until you pass a dog walker or slow it down for the length of three houses. Take in your surroundings while getting fit.
Can’t find an outdoor route? Using the treadmill for incline workouts allows walkers to introduce interval training to their walk in a different way by controlling the level and duration of their incline.
There are different ways to approach an incline interval workout, such as Runner’s World’s Pyramid Scheme workout. This exercise involves increasing the speed and intensity of the incline for four intervals, then decreasing for four intervals. The Pyramid Scheme focuses on increasing intensity gradually, providing a starting point that can be adjusted as walkers gain experience with incline training.
Avery Gillis is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
