Fitness Factfile in association with



www.elverys.ie

There is no easier way to incorporate exercise into your life than through walking. Let’s face it – we all walk some distance in our daily lives – whether it’s just a quick stroll around the supermarket, a run to catch the bus or a thirty minute brisk pace in the park, walking is one of the most natural and easy forms of exercise.

It’s quite easy to sneak exercise into your life by walking whenever and wherever you can. However, you can turn walking into an exercise programme that’s high-maintenance-free. Walking is a brilliant kind of exercise because it’s easy, kind to your joints and doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment. It’s also incredibly versatile. In fact, there are four levels of walking to choose from when building a workout plan:

Lifestyle Walking: Casual walking that you do when strolling through the park or shops. Fitness Walking: The pace you go on a treadmill or whilst briskly walking through the neighbourhood.
High-Energy Walk: Race walking at a very fast pace.
Walk/Run: Alternating running and walking intervals to increase your exercise intensity.

Which level of walking is right for you? It depends on your fitness level, your ability and what you fancy. Most people will do a combination of lifestyle and fitness walking; those who are interested in serious weight loss or have a need for speed will vary high-energy walking with walk/run into their routines.

To help schedule your walking plan, focus on getting ‘F.I.T.’:

Frequency: The number of times per week you decide to walk. Ideally, 3-5 times a week will lead you to your goal. It’s simple once you get into it.
Intensity: The number of times you walk per week may be dictated by your exercise intensity, or how hard you walk.
Time: For many of us, this is the most challenging part of any exercise programme. Where do you find 30 minutes to an hour, 3 to 5 days a week? Instead of ditching your workout because you can’t find a free block of time all together, try mixing up your time intervals.

Try to vary every aspect of F.I.T. On good weeks you may walk five days with high intensity and long duration. On busy weeks you may walk three days, with low intensity and short duration. The best thing is to find what works for you and stick to it!

Weeks 1-2
Monday to Friday. To begin, just aim to walk a little more as part of your daily routine. Get used to walking more, regardless of distance. Try getting off the bus one stop earlier, or walking one way to the shops and getting a bus or taxi back.
Saturday or Sunday. This is your chance to vary your walk a little. Try a different route than your usual weekday one, go to a nearby park or take the opportunity to walk to see some friends.

Weeks 3-4
Monday to Friday: 10-15 minutes. The aim of weeks 3-4 is to make sure that each day you complete at least one walk that is 10 minutes continuous duration. So time yourself and try not to stop for ten minutes. This may sound easy, but think about the times you usually stop for a breather!
Saturday or Sunday: 20-30 minutes. Try a slightly longer walk on one of the weekend days. Weekends are great for family walks in the country, along a river or in a park. And there are always tempting pubs or cafés if you need a rest!

Weeks 5-6
Monday to Friday: Two walks of 15 minutes or more. For weeks 5-6, you should be aiming for the 30 minutes a day that experts recommend for health benefits. But don’t worry; this can be taken in two bouts of 15 minutes across the day. So either try a walk in the morning and one at night or, if your schedule allows, find somewhere about 5-6km/3-4 miles away and walk there and back in one go.
Saturday or Sunday: 30 minutes. In preparation for weeks 7-8, try upping the pace a little on your weekend walk. You should aim to walk briskly, without overexertion. Imagine you’re late for a meeting.

Weeks 7-8
Monday to Friday: 30 minutes brisk walking. For the final week, the target is 30 minutes of brisk walking on most days of the week. This can be in two sessions, but if you can do this in one 30-minute walk, so much the better. This level of walking will have a significant effect on your health and fitness.
Saturday or Sunday: 1 hour or more? Now you’re a fit and healthy walker, the sky’s the limit! Your local park, day-long walks, even hill walking, it’s all possible. Just take it easy and enjoy your new-found fitness and vitality.

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