The Powerful Benefits of Interval Walk Training:

The Benefits of Interval Walk Training: 

Do you like to walk as your main mode of exercise? Does your standard walk need a change or boost so that you burn more calories? Try adding Interval Walk Training (IWT) to the mix. Here is an explanation of what it is, how to do it and the benefits you can achieve. 

Interval Walk Training involves alternating periods of fast walking with periods of walking at a slower pace. Think of it as a contest between the tortoise and the hare. You’ll play both roles, alternating between slow and fast paces.

The benefits are like those of steady paced walking but can be achieved with less time since the intensity is increased. Some studies in Japan found the following benefits: 

• Weight loss
• Reduced fat mass
• Increased cardiovascular endurance and aerobic capacity
• Reduced blood pressure and blood glucose
• Improved leg circulation
• Increased leg strength

Interval walk training also offers these benefits:

• No cost – you just need a timer (your phone, a watch, or an app)
• Easily accessible – you can do this anywhere you can walk….around your neighborhood, school track, park or on a treadmill
• Low rate of injury

To make it work well, you need to pay attention to your breathing using the “Sing/Talk/Gasp” test. After your warmup, pick up your pace to a speed where you can talk but not sing. Then, when you increase your pace for the faster segment, you should be a little more out of breath but not gasping. You should be able to slightly speak in between your breaths. 

Here is an example of a beginner level IWT for a 30 min walk: 

• Warmup at a slow pace for 5 min
• Walk fast for 1 min; then slow to a normal pace for the next 3 minutes
• Repeat this “Fast for 1; slow for 3” sequence five times for a total of 20 min
• Cooldown at a slower pace for 5 min
• Total time is 30 min with 5 minutes of it at a higher intensity.

As you gain strength and endurance, you can mix and match the following categories to increase your fitness level. 

• Increase work time
• Shorten rest time
• Increase your speed
• Increase the number of repeats in a sequence
• Change your terrain from flat by adding hills, bleacher steps or trails to the mix

Pick one or two areas at a time to increase the work level. Do not increase all these categories at the same time. 

Ready for a more intense workout? Try this 30-minute IWT routine:

• Warmup for 4 min
• Alternate 90 seconds fast with 90 seconds slow for 7 times for a total of 21 min
• Cool down for 5 min
• Total time is still 30 minutes, with 10.5 min at a higher intensity

In conclusion, if walking is your personal choice of exercise, you can add some fun and kick it up a notch by inserting some higher intensity intervals into your normal walk. You’ll also find that the timed intervals can make your workout fly by.