How to Burn More Calories Walking

While walking at a relaxed pace has major health benefits and for sedentary people, it can be a great way to start to an exercise program, but walking isn’t necessarily a calorie-torching activity. So, if you’re looking to burn extra calories on foot, consider revving up your activity with these tips:

TACKLE THE HILLS - Use your surrounding environment to break a sweat on a walk. Seek out the hills instead of avoiding them. If you don’t live in a hilly place, even doing hill repeats on the same hill gets your heart pumping.

HIT THE TRAILS - Trails require more coordination and all-body stability to navigate roots and rocks than a plain paved road or sidewalk. Also, the bonus time spent in nature versus on city streets will make you happier and more energized in the long run.

ADD WEIGHT - Whether it’s carrying your groceries home from the market or wearing a weighted vest on a power walk, taking on an extra load burns extra calories. Just make sure you’re carrying things evenly and switch hands if you’re carrying a bag, or invest in a quality backpack.

ADD INTERVALS - You don’t need to start running all the time, but a few intervals will boost your heart rate and metabolism. As you walk around the neighborhood, simply pick up the pace and do a jog or hard run for a half block or to the next stop sign. Even 10 seconds of fast-paced running done a few times can have major benefits and over time and you might find that you want to add even more running to your routine.

SNEAK IN BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES - Take advantage of parks with fitness loops that include stations for different activities like pullups and tricep dips. If you don’t have one of these parks nearby, you can DIY it by stopping every few minutes and holding a plank for a few seconds, doing a few air squats or walking lunges.

I hope this gives you the motivation to take your walking workout the next level and until next time, stay happy, healthy and beautiful!