Power walking: just three walks a week will burn calories and build muscle

Men's Fitness, March, 2003 by Bob Cooper

After a month, increase the number of climbs. Each week add one hill of one or two minutes and one or two minutes of flat walking. Eventually, you can build up to 10 to 15 short hills, or five to 10 longer hills, during a walk of 30 to 45 minutes.

The Payoff: "Hill intervals stimulate postworkout fat-burning," says Loder. The calorie burn for 20 minutes is about 175 to 200. "It's also a nice lead-in to a running program because the effort and use of muscles are so similar." A strong power-walking pace is 11 minutes a mile, the same as for slow running.

Day 3: Steady Walk No weights or inclines on this one, just an even, moderate, conversation-allowing effort. This is the best walk to do with your wife or a friend.

The Payoff: The calorie burn for 20 minutes is about 150 to 175.

Up next: Get a leg up on banishing your winter weight gain with our spring running program.

WALKING BENEFITS

In addition to burning hundreds of calories an hour, walking has myriad other effects that will add to your overall physical and mental health:

* Better endurance so you can last longer--at work, on the court, even in the bedroom.

* Increased energy, especially after each walk, when your body remains revved up for a while.

* Improved heart health, as walking is considered one of the most effective lifelong activities you can do to prevent heart disease.

* Stronger lower-body muscles--quads on uphills; hamstrings, calves and glutes on flats. Also getting a workout are the hip flexors, lower back, and abs. "Power walking is especially effective in toning your abdominal midsection," says Steven Loder, C.S.C.S., personal trainer and owner of EnduraFit in Bloomfield, N.J.

* Negligible risk of injury, because of minimal impact on the joints.

* Convenience. You can walk anytime, anywhere and on any surface, and shoes are all you need. (Walking shoes are best, but running shoes and cross trainers will do.)

* Versatility. Walking lets you cross-train without beating up your body on days when you're not doing something more punishing, tike running or playing basketball.

Lastly, walking is both a great social activity, because it lets you combine conversation with cardio, and a great solo activity, because it lets you de-stress and problem-solve.

POWER-WALKING PRIMER

Power walking is simply brisk walking done with powerful arm action. Here are some form tips:

* Keep your head up, back straight and body aligned.

* Flex your elbows in a curling motion with each arm swing, and swing your hands to chest or neck level. Keep your hands in a cupped position.

* Don't swing your arms too far away from your body.

* Stride out, but don't lengthen your stride so much that your knees lock, which can lead to injury.

* Land on your heels with toes pointing forward.

* On inclines, slightly shorten your stride, lean forward and pump your arms higher.

* While walking with hand weights or weighted gloves, use a compact arm swing that stays close to your body so the added weight at the hands doesn't distort your form.