Spice up a 'walk'

cmhoy71
cmhoy71 Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
A walk is nice. A stroll is lovely. But when it comes to cardio, you are almost wasting your time.
Building some muscle helps boost metabolism and boost your brm.
I'm lucky, there is a free bushwalk near where I live. The bonus is it is a circuit, 1.7km, but the best part is it is 2/3 steps up and down and around a steep hillside through amazing rainforest and bamboo-lined pathways. One lap is now a workout on its own.
Years ago, a close friend would keep herself busy waiting for me to catch up by doing some exercises at benches. It was a mini light-bulb moment.
Now, at every bench i pass, I just do 10 push-ups, 10 dips and 10 leg raises - that's not hard. It gives my legs a break, i do the exercises with a bit of gusto so my heart rate stays up and it lets me attack the stairs again instead of plodding along. After a lap, i've done 1.7km brisk cardio and 70 push-ups, 70 dips and 70 leg raises! It turns a 'walk' into a whole body mini work-out.
Next time you take a walk, keep an eye out and take the bench challenge to spice it up!

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    no one is building muscle doing cardio- so I'm not sure what you are thinking about that... but yes- variety is great... but some people- walking is good enough for now.

    Welcome to the new world of interval training- and yes- it's fabulous. :D
  • MagJam2004
    MagJam2004 Posts: 651 Member
    Next time you take a walk, keep an eye out and take the bench challenge to spice it up!

    I like where your head is at...
    But when it comes to cardio, you are almost wasting your time.

    But poor execution.

    Wherever it is that you walk though, sounds freaking incredible. I live out in the country and the most interesting thing about my route is either the skunk that almost got me yesterday, or the owl that freaks me out because I always miss him until he suddenly takes off right over me. I'd take rainforest, hills, and bamboo over that anyday. Good luck on your goals.
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    Interval training is nice and it sounds like you like your workout. However, walking is not a waste of time for many people. Walking does burn calories, it's smaller than calories burned during running or other cardio but it does serve a purpose. I'm no newbie to weight loss and exercise but I still love to walk and that's all the cardio I do. I walk daily; it's fun, it clears my head, it's peaceful and it gets me out in the fresh air. It happens to burn a few extra calories too.
  • cmhoy71
    cmhoy71 Posts: 19 Member
    You're right guys of course! I love a stroll or a brisk walk too and it does all count and it's much better then nothing for lots of reasons. I was talking about a way I get fitness bang for my buck. Yes you are right too, it is interval training. I was trying to keep the post simple, just putting an idea out there. Cardio can build some muscle, especially for the inactive, but nowhere near as much as strength training. This personal challenge is how I combine both.

    Didn't word it too well obviously, lesson learned. sorry for any offense.

    Found this on youtube MagJam2004, its from a while ago by the look of it, but you get the picture.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j314WMnuC6M

    It's called "The Red Arrow", Cairns, Australia

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