Get the most out of your next walk
When it comes to exercises that get your heart racing, walking might not be the first thing to come to mind. But a few adjustments to your daily stroll can give your cardiovascular system a boost, said Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod physical therapist Kristen Siminski, MPT.
“Walking is something that we should all be doing in terms of getting regular movement,” she said. “It’s a simple exercise that doesn’t require a lot of preparation.”
Boosting your cardio level can be as simple as making a small adjustment to your arm position. Bending your arms at the elbow about 90 degrees will shorten your arm swing and cause your legs to move faster, she said. You can also give Nordic walking a try or carry very light weights.
“When you're using your arms, you’re going to increase your heart rate,” she said.
Another trick to boost your heart rate is to take shorter, quicker steps.
“Listen to your body and be sure it feels good,” she said. (Taking longer strides than normal creates a choppy motion that can lead to injury.)
Push off strong, propelling yourself forward with each step.
“You’re going to go faster and have more oomph to it, and that’s going to nudge your heart rate up,” Siminski said. “Don’t overthink it and be sure to listen to your body.”
Find the Hills
Perhaps the best way to get a bit more cardio into your walk is by hitting the hills.
“When I want more of a straightforward walk, I go on the Rail Trail, but most of the time I like to mix it up in terms of my terrain,” she said. “Cape Cod is not filled with big mountains and hills, but there are inclines that go up and down, and that is a natural way to increase your heart rate. I heard we have over a thousand trails on the Cape, and they are waiting to be explored. If you don’t like the woods, there are neighborhoods, like Hyannis Port, that have different grades of hills. I do hill repeats, going up and down one hill in a pretty area 10 times. It’s interval training without having to time it, without having to have a watch or an app. It’s just going up and down and it gets my heart rate up plenty.”
Smart watches can give you instant feedback, and fitness rings gather info you can download later, but you don’t need high-tech equipment to know that you’re getting cardio benefit from a walk.
“I use a ring, but sometimes it’s too much information and I need a break from the constant input,” Siminski said.
Use the ‘Talk Test’
“Listen to your body and use the ‘talk test.’ If you’re able to talk but not sing, that’s a sign of moderate exertion. If you’re not huffing and puffing, but you notice that you’re a little breathless, that would be moderate activity as opposed to vigorous exercise where you can’t hold a conversation.”
Siminski recommends walking with a friend or small group to help keep you motivated on days when you’d rather loaf. People who prefer a solo walk might want to listen to a podcast if the sounds of nature aren’t sufficiently entertaining.
“The biggest thing is having it be sustainable and fun, having it be something that you enjoy and look forward to,” she said. “So much of integrating movement into our day comes down to getting out of the chair and doing something.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says adults should aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. “The more you can do, the better,” said Siminski. “But anything is better than nothing.”
Siminski also advises that even if you walk on a daily basis, be sure to do some strength training a few days a week as part of an overall fitness plan.
