Most of the people these days are leading a sedentary lifestyle. Be it students or working professionals, people hardly engage in any physical activity and spend most of their time gazing at the computer screens. Exercising is an important step in the fat loss journey along with maintaining a proper diet. If due to time constraints you are unable to hit the gym, there is still something you can follow despite your daily busy schedule.
The simple and easiest workout we are talking about is walking. Simply brisk walking daily can help you to live a healthier life. It can help in reducing body fat and maintaining a healthy body weight and is also beneficial in improving cardiovascular fitness.
To reap the most benefits of this simple activity, you do not necessarily have to spend hours on a treadmill. Taking a walk in nature can refresh your mood. Even though a normal fast paced walk is also good for health, incorporating a few techniques can make it even more effective.
- Increase the intensity of your walk by wearing ankle weights. This will force your legs to put in extra strength and effort into the walk. It is a great way to tone the calves and also burns calories faster. If you do not have ankle weights, then you can carry a backpack or some other heavy item with you.
- You can also include some bodyweight exercises to make it a little more challenging for you. These are the kinds of strength training which require you to use your own body weight to provide resistance against gravity. While walking, you can pause to do squats, pushups, lunges, high knees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, etc.
- Walk on an inclined surface. It is a very effective high impact walking. Walking uphill is more challenging than walking on a plain path and it improves your heart health along with burning calories.
- Try to mix and match your walking style. For instance, you can do brisk walking for 10 minutes and then jog for a while. After that you can switch to running a distance continued by a slow paced walk. You can switch between these as per your wish.
- Finally, whenever you walk, ensure that you are wearing strong footwear that lets you have a good grip. Constantly drink water and do not dehydrate yourself. Walk in a good posture- straight back and relaxed shoulders.
