How to Walk for Exercise Indoors
Start out easy., Set your goals., Adopt a proper posture., Level up your walking., Cool down., Monitor your progress toward your goal each day.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start out easy.
If you are new to walking for exercise — especially if you are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle — it’s important not to push yourself too hard when you first start walking indoors for exercise.
For instance, walk only a mile or two (two to four kilometers).
This way, you’ll be able to build endurance and speed over time.Before you begin walking, consult a doctor.
Share with your doctor that you intend to begin walking for exercise indoors.
Your doctor can give you a checkup to ensure walking is a good exercise for you.
This is especially important if you have health issues or lead a sedentary lifestyle. -
Step 2: Set your goals.
Identify your exercise goals.
Are you just walking indoors to increase flexibility and overall health? Or do you have a specific weight you’re trying to get down to? Whatever your goal is, stay focused on it by writing your goal on a piece of paper and place it somewhere prominent like the front of your fridge.Be realistic when setting your goals. “Lose 100 pounds in a month” is not realistic. “Lose 5 pounds in a month” is more realistic.
Don’t feel that you’re locked in to your goal once you’ve set it.
You can scale your goal up or down once you begin walking indoors for exercise. , When walking, keep your head up and eyes forward.
Your neck and spine should be aligned.
Relax your facial muscles, shoulders, and neck, but tense your stomach muscles slightly.
Pump your arms a bit as you walk, but don’t clench your hands into fists.
Alternate left and right arms, and let your hands pass by your body at about hip-height.
Roll your foot off the ground from heel to toe., There are many ways to get more out of your walk.
You could walk further each day to burn more calories.
Or you could walk the same distance but increase your speed.
Eventually, as you feel more comfortable with your ability to walk indoors for exercise, you should try to do both.Aim to walk at least 10,000 steps each day.
Besides walking faster and longer, walk more often.
Instead of walking three days each week, for instance, walk four or five.
Try walking up and down stairs.
Another way to increase the intensity of your walk is to add weights.
Place weights in a backpack with well-fitted straps, or add resistance exercises such as calf raises, standing on one leg, or wall pushups.
Do not carry dumbbells or wear ankle weights when walking, as this can lead to injury and puts too much strain on your joints.
Try a high-knee walk.
A high-knee walk involves lifting your knees as high as possible when stepping off the ground.
This increases the intensity of your walk and burns calories faster.If you keep your foot extended outward as you lift your knee, you will give more work to the thigh muscles. , As you approach the end of your walk, slow your pace down gradually over a period of about five minutes.
Once you’re done walking for exercise indoors, do a few simple stretches.
For instance, swing one leg backwards and forwards five times as if it’s on a pendulum.
Switch to your other leg and repeat.Roll your head around your neck in a slow gentle circle.
Rotate first clockwise, then counterclockwise.
Rotate five times in each direction.
Tilt your head from side to side 10 times.
Rotate your arms forward five times in small, tight circles with a radius of about 12 inches (30 centimeters), then backwards in circles of the same size.
Repeat, but make the circles larger. , A good way to monitor your progress is by using a fitness tracking device.
FitBit, for instance, can monitor how many steps you take, how many calories you’ve burned, your pulse, and how long you walked.
These devices automatically log data on your walking habits over time, and allow you to share your walk via social media if you’d like.
This is a great way to share with others what you’re doing and get positive feedback on your exercise habits.Of course, you could monitor your progress the old-fashioned way, by keeping a small logbook or journal of your walking habits.
Make a note in your log of the date, time you spent walking, and distance you covered. -
Step 3: Adopt a proper posture.
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Step 4: Level up your walking.
-
Step 5: Cool down.
-
Step 6: Monitor your progress toward your goal each day.
Detailed Guide
If you are new to walking for exercise — especially if you are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle — it’s important not to push yourself too hard when you first start walking indoors for exercise.
For instance, walk only a mile or two (two to four kilometers).
This way, you’ll be able to build endurance and speed over time.Before you begin walking, consult a doctor.
Share with your doctor that you intend to begin walking for exercise indoors.
Your doctor can give you a checkup to ensure walking is a good exercise for you.
This is especially important if you have health issues or lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Identify your exercise goals.
Are you just walking indoors to increase flexibility and overall health? Or do you have a specific weight you’re trying to get down to? Whatever your goal is, stay focused on it by writing your goal on a piece of paper and place it somewhere prominent like the front of your fridge.Be realistic when setting your goals. “Lose 100 pounds in a month” is not realistic. “Lose 5 pounds in a month” is more realistic.
Don’t feel that you’re locked in to your goal once you’ve set it.
You can scale your goal up or down once you begin walking indoors for exercise. , When walking, keep your head up and eyes forward.
Your neck and spine should be aligned.
Relax your facial muscles, shoulders, and neck, but tense your stomach muscles slightly.
Pump your arms a bit as you walk, but don’t clench your hands into fists.
Alternate left and right arms, and let your hands pass by your body at about hip-height.
Roll your foot off the ground from heel to toe., There are many ways to get more out of your walk.
You could walk further each day to burn more calories.
Or you could walk the same distance but increase your speed.
Eventually, as you feel more comfortable with your ability to walk indoors for exercise, you should try to do both.Aim to walk at least 10,000 steps each day.
Besides walking faster and longer, walk more often.
Instead of walking three days each week, for instance, walk four or five.
Try walking up and down stairs.
Another way to increase the intensity of your walk is to add weights.
Place weights in a backpack with well-fitted straps, or add resistance exercises such as calf raises, standing on one leg, or wall pushups.
Do not carry dumbbells or wear ankle weights when walking, as this can lead to injury and puts too much strain on your joints.
Try a high-knee walk.
A high-knee walk involves lifting your knees as high as possible when stepping off the ground.
This increases the intensity of your walk and burns calories faster.If you keep your foot extended outward as you lift your knee, you will give more work to the thigh muscles. , As you approach the end of your walk, slow your pace down gradually over a period of about five minutes.
Once you’re done walking for exercise indoors, do a few simple stretches.
For instance, swing one leg backwards and forwards five times as if it’s on a pendulum.
Switch to your other leg and repeat.Roll your head around your neck in a slow gentle circle.
Rotate first clockwise, then counterclockwise.
Rotate five times in each direction.
Tilt your head from side to side 10 times.
Rotate your arms forward five times in small, tight circles with a radius of about 12 inches (30 centimeters), then backwards in circles of the same size.
Repeat, but make the circles larger. , A good way to monitor your progress is by using a fitness tracking device.
FitBit, for instance, can monitor how many steps you take, how many calories you’ve burned, your pulse, and how long you walked.
These devices automatically log data on your walking habits over time, and allow you to share your walk via social media if you’d like.
This is a great way to share with others what you’re doing and get positive feedback on your exercise habits.Of course, you could monitor your progress the old-fashioned way, by keeping a small logbook or journal of your walking habits.
Make a note in your log of the date, time you spent walking, and distance you covered.
About the Author
Diane Ferguson
Brings years of experience writing about creative arts and related subjects.
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