Cardio Walking courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/holia
I think that one of the most overlooked things you can do for your health is walking. Walking is a good cardio workout. We are so busy during our normal day to day routines that we forget how enjoyable walking can be.
When we walk it helps to clear our mind and enjoy sights that we take for granted if we drive by them. You will begin to notice things that you never saw before even if you drive by the spot your walking by every day.
I happen to live about a 20 minute walk from the center of the city and whenever it is possible I walk downtown instead of driving. What I have found is that it is less of a hassle than driving. When I factor in the amount of time it takes me to find a parking spot it is usually just as quick but cheaper.
I also live about the same distance from the supermarket. Now this tends to be a bit trickier because I can only carry 2 bags of groceries at a time but it tends to add to the workout.
Cardio Walking My 20 Minute Workout
Here is my little trick to intensify my 20 minute walks to get the best workout possible in the short time span. What I do is increase the speed and intensity of my walking in stepped up increments. For example if I am doing a 20 walk I step up my speeds as follows:
- For the first 2 min. I walk at a moderately comfortable pace.
- For the third min. I walk a bit faster
- Minute 4 faster still
- At the fifth minute I am pretty much speed walking
- Then I begin the 5 min. cycle all over again.
- Now when I get to the 4th/5 minute cycle I work backward, this serves as a bit of a cool down period
That’s it….that is all there is to my 20 minute cardio walking routine. This stepped up method will help you get the most out of any aerobic exercise that you do from inline skating, jogging, to biking.
Go ahead and give it a try…by the way I don’t get too fanatical about timing the increments I usually just guesstimate the times.
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