Walking is easily one of the best exercises for your overall health and fitness. It’s simple to do, it’s gentle on your joints, and it’s free (which is a nice little added bonus). As a matter of fact, walking frequently can massively improve your mental health, your cardiovascular health, digestion, and much more. Going on a brisk walk also torches calories, according to WebMD. The faster the speed, the greater number of calories you’ll melt away. So we’ve put together the ultimate winter walking workout to lose five pounds and get into shape.
Let’s be honest: A relaxing 10-minute walk around your neighborhood isn’t hard enough to burn a lot of calories so you can get leaner. If you want to upgrade your daily stroll and lose five pounds, try this clever winter walking workout. It mixes a typical walk with extra intensity, intervals, and exercises to get your heart rate up, challenge your muscles, and increase your overall calorie burn compared to a typical walk. (Of course, you still need to eat a good diet to see the scale move, but if you’re eating the correct number of calories, this workout will help a lot.)
Keep reading to learn all about this winter walking workout to lose five pounds. And next up, don’t miss 5 Little Things You Can Do Every Day To Lose a Lot of Weight.
The winter walking workout you need to lose five pounds:
1) For the first five to 10 minutes, walk at a regular pace to warm up your body and joints. (If it’s really cold, do more than 10 minutes.)
2) Alternate three times:
One minute: Walk as fast as you can without running.
One minute: Walk at a regular pace.
3) Alternate five times:
15 seconds: Do lunges or bodyweight squats.
45 seconds: Walk at a regular pace.
4) Alternate three times:
Two minutes: Walk as fast as you can without running.
One minute: Walk at a regular pace.
READ RELATED: 5 Stretches You Should Do Before Any Run
5) For the final five minutes, walk at a slow pace to cool down.
Remember to foam roll and stretch after you’re finished!
As you get stronger with this winter walking workout, add a weight vest.
As you get stronger at this winter walking workout, consider investing in a weight vest. While you might hear that carrying weights while walking is bad, that’s completely false. First, a weighted vest actually improves your posture, because you’ll have to lean forward and engage your core to carry the weight in the correct posture. Second, by adding some light resistance, you’ll strengthen your muscles, bones, and joints in a very low-impact way.
Start with just 10% of your body weight, and slowly work your way up. (For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, use a 20-pound weight vest.) Also, avoid running with a weight vest and avoid merely filling a regular backpack with weights, because it won’t rest on your shoulders and back correctly and the weight won’t be evenly distributed across your body.
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Anthony J. Yeung
Anthony J. Yeung, CSCS, is a fitness expert featured in Esquire, GQ, and Men’s Health and the founder of GroomBuilder, the destination for men who want to transform their bodies for their weddings. Join the free 5-day course to burn fat and build muscle for the big day! Read more about Anthony
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