How To Take Your Walk Or Jog To The Next Level

Taking a walk or jog a few times a week can do wonders for your body, both inside and out. If you’re already going on regular walks and jogs, you know that your routine can boost your energy, help you breathe better, burn calories and even prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With just a few tweaks to your normal routine, you can reap even more rewards from the same workout. Here’s how:

Get Uncomfortable

There’s nothing wrong with taking an easy stroll sometimes, but this is your workout! That means time to pick up the pace and get uncomfortable to get the most out of your hard work. Try the talking test to see how hard you’re working during your next sweat session. If you can hold a conversation with ease, then you can definitely push harder. Step up your pace until you’re slightly out of breath and it’s difficult to talk. Then, say hello to your new base pace.

Try a Little Interval

Did you read that in a Sam Cooke voice? Adding intervals to your regular walking or jogging workouts will make the time go by much faster, and challenge your body in a different way than steady cardio. Intervals call for you to go hard for a period of time, and then take time to recover and slow your heart and breathing back down. Going up and down in effort level conditions your body to better shed fat and it improves your endurance over time.

Ready to try some intervals? Here’s an sample 30 minute walking interval:

Change Your Scenery

Outside of changing the pace of your walk or jog, you can get more out of your normal routine up with a change of scenery. Find new routes for your workout that might incorporate hills or stairs, or even different terrain. Taking hilly roads can give you even more strength in your legs and glutes, while heading off road to sand or rocks will work your core as you work to stay stable.

With these new tricks up your sleeve, you’ll start to see even more positive changes in your body in less time. Now lace up those shoes and try it out!

Sharita Jennings is a health policy attorney, ACE certified group fitness instructor and nutrition specialist. She leads fitness classes in Washington, DC and provides online coaching and tips on her site, GetFitLikeThat.com.