Fit in everyday life
Turn your walk into a workout with these 5 fitness hacks
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In the stressful everyday life there is often not enough time for an intensive fitness session. Even a long walk can have the character of a workout – if you incorporate these hacks and exercises.
It doesn’t always have to be the large-scale cardio unit and equipment training in the gym – even small areas of movement in everyday life have many health benefits. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends around 150 minutes of moderate exercise and 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week to stay healthy and fit. In this way you prevent cardiovascular diseases and reduce the risk of other diseases such as diabetes.
The movement units can consist of a wide variety of sports and activities – after all, people and their needs are very individual. Walking here is a true all-rounder: yes 30 minutes daily improve heart health, strengthen bones, reduce unhealthy body fat, and build muscle and endurance. If you also boost your walk with these fitness hacks, it becomes the optimal workout.
5 exercises and hacks that turn the walk into a fitness session
1. Increase pace
The simplest way to increase your workout character is speed. When you step up your pace when you walk, you burn more calories, put more strain on your muscles and cardiovascular system, and boost your fat metabolism. However, you don’t have to walk at a very high pace all the time – it is sufficient if you vary the speed again and again and insert small power walks in between.
2. Uphill route
The geography of your route also greatly influences how much you do for fitness while walking. A path with slight inclines is best, as this will increase your breathing and heart rate even more. Admittedly, people who live in mountainous regions have an easier time incorporating this fitness hack into their walk. But even those who live in the flat country usually do not have to do without it completely. Urban parks in particular often have (artificial) inclines that are perfect for a walk with that certain extra.
3. Install stairs
If you want to go a step further, you can add steps to your hike. Because climbing stairs has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and thus increases the effect of walking immensely. If you have no or only a few stairs in your area to incorporate them into your route, you can alternatively integrate the steps in your own house at the beginning and/or end of your walk as a booster.
4. Walk backwards
Would you like to challenge your endurance and muscles as well as your balance and mobility? Then you should walk backwards during your walk. Even a few minutes of walking backwards can have very positive effects on physical and mental health. However, start very carefully and ideally with a training partner to avoid falls.
5. Weights in hand
Walking is a good full-body workout, but we naturally put less strain on our upper body than on our legs. We activate our trunk muscles when we walk, but our shoulders and arms could use a little fitness boost. Dumbbells are perfect for that! It doesn’t have to be heavy weights: Depending on your shape, you can either attach 0.5 to 1 kilo dumbbells to your wrists or simply hold them in your hand while doing your lap. This strengthens the arm and shoulder muscles and also boosts the metabolism.
Sources used: who.int, fitbook.de