Women's Health Walking Workouts

CHAPTER 4

Walk Off Your Belly In Six Weeks

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The perfect way to up the results of your ordinary walking routine: send it to boot camp. Our waist-whittling plan combines the high-energy, body-weight strength and agility drills of popular boot-camp classes with walking intervals proven to blast fat fast. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse researcher­s found that bootcamp workouts burn about 31kJ a minute — 30 percent more

than a steady-pace walk alone. Lab tests aside, we know this plan works because we tested it on a small sample of women ages 38 to 51. In just six weeks, they lost an average of nearly 30cm each (including up to 10cm off their waistline alone) and up to 10 kilos – without dieting. What makes a boot-camp workout so different? For starters, it’s the ultimate timesaver, combining strength moves and fat-burning cardio, plus age-defying agility and flexibilit­y drills. “You work harder than you would if you were just walking or strength-training, but you don’t notice because you’re constantly switching gears from one exercise to the next,” says celeb trainer Chris Freytag, who designed the programme. Best of all, our testers loved how the workout energised their attitudes towards exercise. “These women never imagined they could have so much fun while getting fit!” says Freytag. Now it’s your turn to try our walking boot camp. Do it on your own or grab a friend! Research shows that having several workout partners can as much as triple your chances of exercising regularly. This plan is perfect for all fitness levels and all you need are your walking shoes, a watch and a desire to have some fun! Like our fellow boot campers, you could shrink up to two sizes in just six weeks!

Sample Weekly Sweat Schedule

Three times a week, do the 60-minute walking boot-camp workout. Twice a week, do a steadypace­d brisk walk (about 5 to 6km/h) for one hour.

You’ll Need: Walking shoes, a sports watch and a path or track near a grassy area to perform the exercises. Tip: download an app like Strava to find suitable routes in your area.

For Faster Results

Follow a healthy diet (about 6 700kJ a day) with plenty of fruit, vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dairy.

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