Never has the fitness scene looked so good for Indian women. It is heartening to see women of all ages walking zealously, every morning or evening, in almost every ‘walking streets’ of any Indian city. Moms, Grandmoms, Housewives, Busy professionals – every one is finally waking up to the fact that 30 minutes a day will help them live a better, fitter life. Walkathons and Marathons are a regular feature in many Indian cities. ‘Raahgiri Days‘ are a common occurrence and see huge participation by women and children.
If you are yet to jump on the bandwagon or just getting started, why not join us! The summer vacations are beginning and there will no more morning hassles to worry about. Here’s a month-long walking plan to get your fitness levels up.
The 4 Week Walking Plan
With this four-week plan, each week is designed to push you a little harder than the previous one. Not only will your walks get longer each week, but they’ll become more challenging, too, because you’ll gradually be including hills and stairs. If you follow the calendar, by the end of the four weeks you’ll be walking for 45 minutes a day.
Note: This plan is designed for first time walkers. If you’re already a walker, week one may be too easy, so start with week two and repeat week four twice.
Tracking Your Progress
To track your progress, consider clocking a few different routes by car so you know exactly how long they are. Then keep a log of the distance you walk and the time it took. Try to walk a little faster and a little farther each day.
A brilliant app we recommend is Strava. Download it on your smartphones to keep track of your kilometers, speed, best times, compare your own performance over a period of time as well as compare it with others in your friend groups or family.
Now, lace up those shoes and get going!
Week 1
Focus on developing good walking habits.
Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed and arms bent at a 90 degree angle. With each step, move through your foot in a heel-ball-toe motion.
This week, stick with flat surfaces.
By day seven, you should be walking for 20 minutes a day.
Day 1: Find a long, flat road and start walking. If after 10 minutes you still feel energetic, keep going for 5 more minutes.
Day 2: Same road, longer walk. Aim to walk a little farther than you did yesterday, even if it’s just 100 yards.
Day 3: Ask a friend to join you on a 20-minute walk. When you’re done, share a big bottle of water.
Day 4: Pick an entirely new route. Halfway through, take 20 faster steps, then return to a comfortable pace. Keep it up for 20 minutes.
Day 5: Rest and stretch your well-worked muscles. Sign up for a walk-a-thon a month or two down the line.
Day 6: Walk to your friend’s house, pick her up, walk through the neighborhood with her and then walk home.
Day 7: Go for a 20-minute walk first thing in the morning and see how great you feel all day.
Week 2
Challenge yourself by balancing on a quiet street’s curb while you walk, or by walking backward. Your muscles will work harder. Add small hills to your walk and increase your speed. Aim to walk for 30 minutes a day.
Day 1: Walk around your local football field. Try interval walking—speed up for a minute then slow down for five, then speed up again, etc. Continue in this fashion for 30 minutes.
Day 2: Invite your husband, son or daughter to walk with you. Play a game in which you walk faster for 15 seconds and he or she catches up, then switch.
Day 3: Walk to your local park. Find a row of trees and zigzag through them. On the walk home, balance-walk along a safe curb.
Day 4: Walk rather than drive your kids to school or run errands by foot rather than car. Alternate between walking backward for 10 steps and forward for 50. Switch back and forth for 30 minutes.
Day 5: Rest day. Reward yourself with a pedicure. Your feet deserve it!
Day 6: Walk with your dog—or borrow one. Speedwalk to the stop sign then slow down. Repeat.
Day 7: Find a hilly part of town and walk up and down a hill twice or until you’ve walked for 30 minutes.
Week 3
If you have been following the 4-week walking plan religiously, I am sure you are already noticing the change in your fitness levels. You’ll be walking for 40 minutes at a time by the end of this week.
Aim to conquer bigger, steeper hills. This will increase the intensity of your walks and up the amount of calories you’ll burn.
Day 1: Return to the local football field and walk up and down the entire length of the bleachers, varying the speed of your pace, for 30 minutes.
Day 2: Instead of driving, walk into town to drop off your mail. See how quickly you can get there and back.
Day 3: As you walk to a nearby hill, swing your arms to pick up your pace.
Day 4: Find the most hilly area in your neighborhood. Take a portable radio or CD player with you and listen to your favorite music. Aim to walk for 40 minutes.
Day 5: Rest day. Spend the time you would have spent walking giving your muscles a good stretch.
Day 6: Find a long set of stairs. Climb up and down them five times. Then walk for 15 minutes.
Day 7: Find a nature path where you can hike for 40 minutes. Take your kids with you and sing songs together.
Week 4
This week, put together everything you’ve learned over the past three weeks of the 4-week walking for fitness plan. Maintain good posture while climbing stairs or hills. Pick up the pace even if it’s for short bursts of time.
Aim to walk for 45 minutes a day.
Day 1: As you walk along a sidewalk, take long strides over the cracks for one block, then take two small steps in between cracks for the next block.
Day 2: Walk to the football field. When you get there, hit the bleachers and do 10 minutes of step climbing. Walk back.
Day 3: Find a flight of stairs and walk up and down it 10 times. Then walk home. Try to keep going for at least 40 minutes.
Day 4: Speedwalk steadily for 20 minutes. Cool down and speed up again for 10.
Day 5: Rest and stretch. Reward yourself by getting a sharp new walking T-shirt.
Day 6: As you walk, speed up every time you see a telephone pole, decrease your speed for a minute or two and then increase your speed again.
Day 7: Challenge your husband to a 45-minute race that includes speedwalks and hills. See who wins!
Even if you have never walked before, this 4-Week Walking Plan is the best way to begin walking for fitness.
Rainy Day Plan:
Unfortunately not every day is perfect walking weather. Here are two rainy-day ideas to prevent you from falling off the workout bandwagon.
- Drive to the mall and walk every floor without stopping to shop.
- Find a set of indoor stairs and walk up and down them for 10 minutes or more. Still feeling energized? Do some jumping jacks.
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