Make the commitment & get results!
This is my attitude about Exercise: If I am going to commit the time to Exercise, I want to see results! I know many people that Workout so much, for so little. Not me. When I Exercise, I make every effort count. My Exercise is efficient, well- planned and results - oriented.
Walking is one of my favorite Exercises because I can do it anywhere and at any time. And I know how to make Walking really count. I use training tools, like a weighted vest, to burn more calories and increase all of the benefits of Walking. I vary my training schedule so that my body never adapts, and I enlist a training partner, or use music to keep it motivating and fun.
This is a sample Workout week:
* 2-3 relatively short, relatively intense training days. For example:
a) 30-40 minute walk in my weighted vest, wearing 8 lbs of extra weight while keeping my pace fast enough so that my breathing is too intense to carry on a conversation, but not so intense that I can not keep the pace for 30-40 minutes.
b) 20-30 minutes of walk/jog, where I go out in my neighborhood and I walk fast for 2 minutes, then I jog for 2 minutes. Both the walk and the jog keep my heart rate high enough that 20-30 minutes feels like enough.
c) With 4-6 lbs in my vest, I do a 30-40 minute strenuous hike, or find stairs that I can incorporate into my Walking routine (5-10 sets of 20 stairs), or include 5-10 sets of 20 Walking lunges in my walk.
* 1-2 longer, not as intense, training days. For example:
a) 40-50 minutes of Walking strong and steady (wearing 4-6 lbs in my walk vest) with a training partner (someone who is at least as strong as me, maybe even stronger). We pace each other, chat and plan our next walk before we are finished so that we stay committed and on schedule.
b) iPod loaded with my favorite music, I go for 45 minutes or so, and keep a steady, but not too strenuous, pace.
* 1 long day. For example:
a) I go for a long (longer than 60 minutes) hike or scenic walk. Try a walk where you go to a neighborhood with beautiful homes and gardens and you walk for over an hour.
This 4-6 day schedule will get you super fit super fast. Of course using a weighted vest is optional - if you vary your Exercise routine as I recommend, I assure you greater results from your training.
