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If you’re not walking regularly, you’re missing out on one of the most underappreciated tools for a toned and fit body. While high-intensity workouts and endurance activities often steal the spotlight, walking humbly stands its ground, continuing to prove its weight loss benefits time and time again. A 2022 study published in Nutrients found that postmenopausal women with a regular walking routine experienced weight loss regardless of walking speed. So, for women who are looking to sculpt their fittest bodies, incorporating a daily walking routine can be a total game-changer. We have the ultimate daily walking workout for women to get fit.
Walking offers a unique blend of benefits. It’s gentle on the joints, can be done anywhere, and requires no fancy equipment. But here’s the twist: Not all walking workouts are created equal. That’s why we chatted with Tracie Haines-Landram, CSCS, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and nutrition coach with Barbend, who reveals the #1 daily walking workout for women to achieve their fitness goals. The best part is the workout can be done indoors, outdoors, or on a treadmill.
“Pacing can either be monitored on the treadmill or fitness tracker by speed, which is often displayed as miles per hour (mph) or pace (min: sec per mile),” explains Haines-Landram. “If no technology is available, going off a perceived scale of intensity (how hard the workout feels to you) works.”
Before diving into the workout, we need to clarify some terminology.
- Home Base = If walking outdoors, this is where your area to perform additional exercises that are safe and free from traffic. If walking indoors, this will be next to your treadmill.
- Set = If walking outdoors, one set is either one lap of the distance you set, which should be around 0.25 miles. If walking indoors or on a treadmill, one set will be walking 0.25 miles indoors or on a treadmill.
- Pace = Determine four levels of speed for yourself.
- Level 1 is a slow-paced, casual walk where you can easily hold a conversation and not get winded.
- Level 2 is a faster walk where you can still hold a conversation.
- Level 3 is a fast pace you can sustain for over 10 minutes, but you may not be able to hold a steady conversation because you’re out of breath.
- Level 4 is the fastest pace you can walk before it turns into a run where it’s difficult to talk or hold a conversation.
Haines-Landram says, “The general workout format is to complete one set of roughly 0.25 miles. Then, at your Home Base, complete a lower-body movement and upper-body movement three times, alternating between each.”
Regardless of your fitness level, read on for the workout. Then, check out The “50-Mile Month” Walking Challenge Is a Surprisingly Easy Way To Get Fit.
This is your warm-up, so it’s all about getting the muscles activated and the heart rate slightly elevated. Think of it as setting the stage for the workout to come.
