Walking Weight Loss

Here is the 6 Week Walking Challenge that I reference in my last post. Credit for the original poster/creator can be found at the bottom of this post.

6 Week Walking Plan
Start each walk with a 5 minute warm up (walk at a slow pace to warm up your muscles). Walk at a pace that is comfortable for you-- a good reference is if you are able to hold a conversation while walking.

Week One:
Plan for three walking sessions this week. It is best to give yourself a break in between, so plan for Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Aim for twenty minutes each session (not counting your warm up or cool down). If you cannot get to twenty minutes at one time, break it down-- two, ten minute sessions, etc. Focus on breathing while you walk and maintaining a comfortable pace.

Week Two:
Plan for three walking sessions this week, but increase your sessions to thirty minutes each (again, not including warm up or cool down).

Week Three:
This week you will increase your sessions to four times at thirty minutes each. This will be the maximum amount of sessions you do in one weeks time. You can pick any day to add your fourth session. If you are unable to walk for thirty minutes at one time, again it is okay to split into two, fifteen minute sessions or however you see fit to work for you.

Week Four:
Four, forty minute sessions. If you are getting bored, try taking a new path or creating a new playlist to spice up your walk. It can be hard to find forty minutes to exercise at one time, so feel free to split into two, twenty minutes sessions if necessary.

Week Five:
Doing great! Four, fifty minute sessions. Focus this week on trying to walk just a little faster pace that you have so far. Try to walk further than you have thus far by the end of the week.

Week Six:
Four, sixty minute sessions (not including your warm up or cool down, still). Focus on walking at a dedicated pace during your walk to prevent fatigue and allow yourself a more enjoyable experience. If you increase your speed again this week, that is fantastic! Make sure to congratulate yourself on how far you have come since week one and don't stop walking. Keep up this schedule on focus on speed and distance in coming weeks. Remember when you don't have time for a full sixty minute sessions, break it down into two, thirty minute sessions or three, short twenty minute walks.

End each walking session with a 5 minute cool down and stretches.



Credit: http://madamedeals.com/walking-weight-loss-printable/
(Please note that I was unable to load this page on my computer, but had no trouble viewing it from my smartphone.)