Walk Your Way to a Lean Body With This 20-Minute Walking Workout
Walking-in-place workouts are terrific for all sorts of reasons. They can help you improve your conditioning and your coordination, they burn calories when you don't have access to equipment or space to train, and—just as great—they can help you lose weight. According to a study published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, researchers who studied the effects of walking on obese women over the course of a 12-week period found that it was especially effective at targeting and reducing visceral fat—the insidious stuff otherwise known as belly fat, which increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
If you're fitness is at a higher level, doing a great walking-in-place workout is also a great active recovery exercise to do for your legs in between your strength and more hardcore cardio sessions. You'll help your muscles recover while continuing to burn calories while maintaining your conditioning.
If this all sounds great to you, considering adding this great walking-in-place workout into your own routine. Here's how to do it: Warm up for 5 minutes by walking in place at a moderate pace until your body feels warm and loose, and some sweat may be starting to accumulate. Then set a timer for 20 minutes and perform 4-5 sets of the following exercises back-to-back with 15 seconds rest in between. And for some great advice from the front lines of exercise science, make sure you're aware of the One Major Side Effect of Sitting on the Couch Too Much, Says New Study.
High Knees
Keeping your torso upright with your core tight, begin marching your knees up above your hip back and forth. And to make sure you're wearing the right shoes while doing this routine, make sure you're aware of The Single Worst Shoes for Walking Every Day, According to a New Study.
Butt-Kickers
With your hands out to your sides, begin kicking your heels back towards your butt, flexing your hamstrings with each rep.
Alternating Reverse Lunges
Start the movement by picking a leg and taking a long stride back. Have your back knee touch the ground, then come back up. Repeat with the other side.
A-Skips
Perform the movement by taking one of your hands and the opposite knee and throwing them up in a mini jump. Land soft and repeat with the other side. For more great advice on walking properly, make sure you know the Major Mistakes You Should Never Make While Walking, Say Experts.
