Your Workout at a Glance
Do the walking program, followed by the Start-the-Day Stretches on the next page, 3 to 5 times a week for a month; then increase the high-intensity intervals to 1 minute (this will add an extra 2 1/2 minutes to the workout). To make the program harder and boost your fitness, increase the high-intensity intervals to 1 1/2 minutes.
Pace Yourself
Use the Rate of Perceived Exhaustion (RPE) to gauge how hard you feel you're working on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest.
Walking Program
0:00-5:00 minutes
Warm up at a slow, even pace, working up to a light, leisurely stroll (an RPE of 4 to 5).
5:01-8:00
Quicken your pace slightly to an RPE of 6 (you should be able to converse).
8:01-8:30
Walk as fast as you can. This pace should be challenging — an RPE of 7 to 8 (you'll find it harder to speak).
8:31-10:30
Decrease to an easy pace — an RPE of 5 to 6.
10:31-11:00
Walk as fast as you can — an RPE of 7 to 8.
11:01-13:00
Decrease to an easy pace — an RPE of 5 to 6.
13:01-13:30
Walk as fast as you can — an RPE of 7 to 8.
13:31-15:30
Decrease to an easy pace — an RPE of 5 to 6.
15:31-16:00
Walk as fast as you can — an RPE of 7 to 8.
16:01-18:00
Decrease to an easy pace — an RPE of 5 to 6.
18:01-18:30
Walk as fast as you can — an RPE of 7 to 8.
18:31-20:30
Cool down; decrease to an easier pace, similar to the warm up.
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