Give your running shoes the day off and still give your heart rate a good jog.
YOUR MISSION
You want to fit more of a workout into less time but that doesn’t mean you have to approach the treadmill with a furious “must-run” mentality, fearing that you’ll miss a challenging workout. You can increase walking’s kilojoule burn by 50 percent by simply upping the incline or speed. During the first half of this routine, you’ll climb a steep hill, engaging your bum and legs in hard work to propel you. The more those muscles fire, the faster your heart beats, and the more kJs you torch. Just when your glutes and quads start begging for mercy, you’ll lower the incline and pick up the pace to keep the kJ ticking away. So go on, take a day off from running today — with this walking routine, you’ll never feel like you’re slacking off.
HOW IT WORKS
Set a treadmill to manual and walk, or find a path outdoors than replicates this routine. After a warm-up, increase the incline every 2 minutes for 10 minutes, decreasing your pace when the hill gets very steep. If it ever feels too tough, slow down to meet the recommended rate of perceived exertion (RPE*). For the second half of the workout, reduce the incline to nearly zero and start picking up the pace. Cool down for 5 minutes, then try the must-do move.
Must-do move Your bum will get an extra sculpting challenge (and more power for steep hills) with this must-do move.
BENT-OVER REAR KICK
- Stand facing one end of a chair or flat bench, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold top of chair and bend forward from your hips until your back is parallel to the floor. Bend right knee 90 degrees and raise it to hip height at your side, foot flexed [A].
- Extend right leg behind you [B]. Bring knee in again and repeat. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then change sides. Do 2 or 3 sets.
Take the day off from running today — with this walking routine, you’ll never feel like you’re slacking off
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