Best way to walk...weights?

crabtasticshrimp

I walk most days, always with a baby in the sling and pushing a toddler in a pram. Half the time this is at a three year old ' s pace, and on the way back I can walk faster.

I feel like I do this all the time, so no longer has any weight loss benefit as such. I'm considering adding some weights to help out with toning, but I'm unsure of what and where!

I want to lose inches and tone up my bottom and stomach areas, would wearing ankle weights help that? Or is there a weight I can wear around my stomach, that has to be fairly flat because of the sling. What about a waist trainer? I don't want to look muscly, I want to look (and be) fit and toned.

Machka9

You can't spot reduce.

Have you been tracking your calories?

crabtasticshrimp

No, I know. But, if a particular exercise is no longer having an effect, then it needs to be modified. As I don't want really muscly legs, I'm not sure if ankle weights are the way to go, which is why I mentioned where I'd specifically like to lose from and tone up, in case people had ideas for the best type of weights or any other suggestions.

I am logging my calories, but I'm trying not to focus too much on that as I am breastfeeding a small baby, and I'm interested in toning up as well as losing weight.

TavistockToad

don't walk with ankle weights on.

google body weight training, something like You are your own Gym, or a lifting programme like NROL4W or strong curves

crabtasticshrimp

Thank you, I will have a look :-)

jemhh

You can buy weighted vests for this. I'm not sure how comfortable it would be with a sling.

firef1y72

jemhh wrote: »

You can buy weighted vests for this. I'm not sure how comfortable it would be with a sling.

I've got a vest that you add weight to by putting little bags in pockets sewn in the back and front, but seeing how uncomfortable it is to walk in anyway I can't even imagine trying to combine it with a sling. Not that it adds an awful lot of Calories to my walk anyway, maybe 20 in an hour. I wear it more to remind myself how much extra weight I was carrying around on a daily basis.

Maybe you could swop Baby and toddler around occasionally, I know back carrying a 3yo is a pretty good workout, especially uphill

rybo

No to ankle weights, no to the waist trainer.
You are in no threat of looking too muscly, many woman who try to look that way have to work extremely hard to do so. Just walking with a weight vest isn't going to provide that look, and is also not very likely to get the "toning" results you are looking for.

jomajoo

rybo wrote: »

No to ankle weights, no to the waist trainer.
You are in no threat of looking too muscly, many woman who try to look that way have to work extremely hard to do so. Just walking with a weight vest isn't going to provide that look, and is also not very likely to get the "toning" results you are looking for.

This. It would take a whole lot of effort to look muscly.

Spartan_Gingi

I walk at my desk, and was looking for ways to make it more effective. You really cannot spot reduce. It's a whole body thing, but you can use ankle weights, or a weighted vest to make it more efficient. I found a 3lb pair and a 5lb pair at my local Target yesterday, but pretty sure you could find them at most big retail places.

flatlndr

Could you get a double jog stroller and do modified intervals (normal walk, fast walk, repeat), to add some effort to your walk? or is the baby still too small for a stroller?

crabtasticshrimp

Yes, the baby is only 9 weeks. The three year old walks and the almost 2 year old is in the pram, although sometimes walks if we're not in a hurry.

I want to lose from all over, but they're the specific areas. If a weighted vest is uncomfortable, sounds like it's not the best thing at the moment. Maybe I will try ankle weights then. I just want to make my walks more effective

Azdak

Adding weights will not make much difference, either for weight loss or fitness. At 3 mph a 20lb weight vest will increase calorie burn by about 1/2 calorie per minute.

successgal1

Ankle weights can cause leg problems. Weight loss is caused by eating less then you burn. Figure out what you're burning carrying that baby and with the toddler in the pram. Add that to your daily burn as exercise, eat less calories then that to lose weight.

To "tone" try intervals of lunges, and leg lifts during the walk. I'd suggest putting the baby down.

You'll probably get better results though if you can carve out a half hour at home just for yourself and do bodyweight, dumbbells, and then use those ankle weights in there.

singingflutelady

Definitely don't wear ankle weights

TavistockToad

crabtasticshrimp wrote: »

Yes, the baby is only 9 weeks. The three year old walks and the almost 2 year old is in the pram, although sometimes walks if we're not in a hurry.

I want to lose from all over, but they're the specific areas. If a weighted vest is uncomfortable, sounds like it's not the best thing at the moment. Maybe I will try ankle weights then. I just want to make my walks more effective

again, DON'T walk in ankle weights.

TeaBea

TavistockToad wrote: »

don't walk with ankle weights on.

google body weight training, something like You are your own Gym, or a lifting programme like NROL4W or strong curves

This^

Strength training is it's own thing. Ankle weights can be scary, it may change your gait, overuse injuries. Big risk vs. tiny reward.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/ankle-weights/faq-20058222

TeaBea

Spartan_Gingi wrote: »

I walk at my desk, and was looking for ways to make it more effective. You really cannot spot reduce. It's a whole body thing, but you can use ankle weights, or a weighted vest to make it more efficient. I found a 3lb pair and a 5lb pair at my local Target yesterday, but pretty sure you could find them at most big retail places.

Squats (walking lunges....if you have a treadmill desk).

cwolfman13

crabtasticshrimp wrote: »

No, I know. But, if a particular exercise is no longer having an effect, then it needs to be modified. As I don't want really muscly legs, I'm not sure if ankle weights are the way to go, which is why I mentioned where I'd specifically like to lose from and tone up, in case people had ideas for the best type of weights or any other suggestions.

I am logging my calories, but I'm trying not to focus too much on that as I am breastfeeding a small baby, and I'm interested in toning up as well as losing weight.

That doesn't really happen...efficiency in energy expenditure that is gained from doing the same exercise is minimal. As you shrink though, you will expend less energy doing the same thing...but it's not the exercise that has become inefficient, it's that you're moving less mass over the same distance which is where increased intensity can come into play.

I'd suggest a couple of things...1) add in some of days of more moderate intensity cardiovascular work the increase energy expenditure and 2) rather than walking with ankle weights or whatever, do some kind of resistance training...resistance training is where you really start to see body composition changes (toning) over time..."toning" is largely a matter of retaining what muscle you have and cutting the fat to reveal said muscle.

BrianSharpe

Assuming there's no material change in your weight walking the same distance daily will result in the same caloric expenditure daily, straight physics mass x distance (it just feels like less effort as your fitness improves).