Given the current situation in which we have to stay at home, it is more difficult to adapt walking to our schedule, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get in a workout indoors. When you’re strapped for time and space, get a little creative and consider walking in place.
Do you want to shed several pounds and add more movement in your daily routine? Walking is the easiest way to start. Did you know that walking at a brisk pace burns around 260 calories (for someone who weighs 150 pounds or 68 kilograms)?
Here, a look at how walking in place could be a viable alternative:
Will I lose weight if I walk in place?
This is a viable question. Raising your heart rate is the key to losing weight and gaining fitness. if you can raise your heart rate to zone 2 or 3 you’ll burn more calories whether you’re walking outside or in place.
Participants who walked in place for an hour burned an average of 258 calories, compared to roughly 304 calories for people who walked on a treadmill, shows a study published by the Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise journal. The study also found walking in place during commercial breaks burned about 148 calories in 25 minutes while racking up 2,111 steps.
Tips on how to get started
Here, seven tips for maximizing the benefits:
- Use a marching technique. This means lifting your heels toward your butt and placing them back on the floor at a quick pace.
- Swing your arms. Try to move your arms as you would normally when walking outdoors.
- Use a heart rate monitor. This will make you aware if you’re raising your heart rate enough to get into zone 2 or 3 of your maximum heart rate.
- Dress for it. If you’re going to march for an extended period of time, treat it as normal exercise. Wear walking shoes, warm-up before you increase your pace and stretch afterward.
- Up your calorie burn by adding in strength exercises. Holding light hand weights while you perform bicep curls and arm circles is a great way to tone your upper body.
- Add higher-intensity intervals. When walking in place at a moderate speed, up the intensity for 20 seconds periodically. This helps you mix things up and keeps you from getting bored while also burning more calories.
- Add burpees. After a couple of minutes of walking in place, perform a burpee or two. It’s a great total-body move that helps build strength.
Staying at home is not an excuse to escape exercising. On the contrary. Find the strength and the motivation to improve your health. You need to have a healthy immune system now, more than ever. If you have kids, engage them in funny physical activities and let them discover the good side of the story. Exercise together and improve your mood, your health and enjoy spending time together.
