Before you start any exercise program you should consult your doctor to make sure you are fit and healthy enough to do so.
Athletic walking is not the same as just going for a walk. It is an athletic activity that will get your heart pumping, your lungs working hard, and your muscles fired up and raring to go! Athletic walking as an aerobic exercise; not a stroll in the park!
As with any other type of exercise, you need to start slow and easy and increase the intensity and duration of exercise gradually over time. Pushing yourself too hard early on will result in burn-out and overly sore muscles; and increases your risk of injury.
Athletic walking is not the same as just going for a walk. It is an athletic activity that will get your heart pumping, your lungs working hard, and your muscles fired up and raring to go! Athletic walking as an aerobic exercise; not a stroll in the park!
As with any other type of exercise, you need to start slow and easy and increase the intensity and duration of exercise gradually over time. Pushing yourself too hard early on will result in burn-out and overly sore muscles; and increases your risk of injury.
If you are a brand new walker who has never walked more than a couple of blocks, use the 4+ week beginner program to get started. If you are walking the lower number of minutes, repeat that week, gradually increasing your minutes to the maximum, until you are walking the higher number of minutes. Then move on to the next week and repeat the process. It may take just 4 weeks or it may take 16+ weeks to build up to 20 minutes of walking but that is OK. It is not a competition so go at your own pace and focus on enjoying the journey. As you reach the end of each week you will feel fitter, stronger and more energized than the week before. If you feel less energized (or irritable), you are doing too much too soon. Drop back to the previous week and ramp back up more slowly.
All walks should be in the "talk test" zone. This means that you can easily carry on a conversation, sing a song or recite the alphabet without running out of breath. If you start to get out of breath, back down on your speed a little until you are back in the Talk Test zone. The talk test zone is not just for beginners. All athletes train in this zone, whether they are walking a 25 minute mile or running a 5 minute mile. Learning how to train correctly to get the most physiological benefit from your training, from day one, will serve you well. Do not listen to anyone who tells you that huffing, puffing and feeling like you are going to throw up or pass out is the way to train. They are 100% wrong!
All walks should be in the "talk test" zone. This means that you can easily carry on a conversation, sing a song or recite the alphabet without running out of breath. If you start to get out of breath, back down on your speed a little until you are back in the Talk Test zone. The talk test zone is not just for beginners. All athletes train in this zone, whether they are walking a 25 minute mile or running a 5 minute mile. Learning how to train correctly to get the most physiological benefit from your training, from day one, will serve you well. Do not listen to anyone who tells you that huffing, puffing and feeling like you are going to throw up or pass out is the way to train. They are 100% wrong!
Beginner Walking Program
Week One: Walk 5-10 mins Mon, Tues & Thurs, and 10-15 mins Saturday.
Week Two: Walk 5-10 mins Mon, 10-15 mins Tues & Thurs, and 15-20 mins Saturday.
Week Three: Walk 10-15 mins Mon, 15-20 mins Tues & Thurs, and 20-25 mins Saturday.
Week Four: Walk 10-15 mins Mon, 15-20 mins Tues & Thurs, and 20-25 mins Saturday.
Week Two: Walk 5-10 mins Mon, 10-15 mins Tues & Thurs, and 15-20 mins Saturday.
Week Three: Walk 10-15 mins Mon, 15-20 mins Tues & Thurs, and 20-25 mins Saturday.
Week Four: Walk 10-15 mins Mon, 15-20 mins Tues & Thurs, and 20-25 mins Saturday.
When you are comfortably walking for 20 minutes, you can start the intermediate program. Follow the same rules as for the beginner program; If you are walking the lower number of minutes, repeat that week, gradually increasing your minutes to the maximum, until you are walking the higher number of minutes. Then move on to the next week and repeat the process.
Intermediate Walking Program
Week One: Walk -20 mins Mon, 30 mins Tues & Thurs, and 40 mins Saturday.
Intermediate Walking Program
Week One: Walk -20 mins Mon, 30 mins Tues & Thurs, and 40 mins Saturday.
Week Two: Walk 20 mins Mon, 30 mins Tues & Thurs, 50 mins Saturday.
Week Three: Walk 30 mins Mon, 40 mins Tues & Thurs, 50 mins Saturday.
Week Four: Walk 30 mins Mon, 40 mins Tues & Thurs, 60 mins Saturday.
18-22 mins of walking is more or less equivalent to 1 mile (depending on your walking speed) so by the end of the intermediate program you should be walking about 3 miles as your long walk each week.
PLAN AND TRACK
Track your walks using a smartphone app like RunKeeper (www.runkeeper.com). This app will calculate your mileage and your walking pace. It will keep track of all your walks so you can look back later and see how much progress you have made!
You can also plan your walks in advance using route planning tools such as:
You can also plan your walks in advance using route planning tools such as:
- Map my Run: http://www.mapmyrun.com
- Running Map: http://www.runningmap.com
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
Always carry water with you while exercising. We recommend you carry a phone and ID. If
something were to happen to you or someone else it is good to have a phone with you to
call someone. ID is so if something were to happen to you, others will know who you are.
Always carry water with you while exercising. We recommend you carry a phone and ID. If
something were to happen to you or someone else it is good to have a phone with you to
call someone. ID is so if something were to happen to you, others will know who you are.
