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Think walking isn’t a tough workout? Matt Nolan, chief curriculum lead and instructor at Barry’s in New York City, begs to differ. In fact, he encourages those who don't enjoy running to come to a class and walk the running portions -and get just as good of a workout.
To get a taste of what to expect from a HIIT walk, he put together this sample treadmill walking workout that will get your heart pumping.
“This is something you can do at any Barry’s class with me," he says of his interval walking routine. "Remember if you’re not a runner yet, you can do the whole class walking.”
You can also take it off the treadmill: “If you’re outside and you don’t have incline, I just want you to go faster," he says. Whenever the workout calls for a change in incline, simply play with your speed to dial up or down the intensity.
This quick 10-minute routine is a great add-on to a strength workout or as an efficient way to pack in some more steps, Nolan says.
10-minute interval treadmill walking workout
- 0-1:00: Warm up: 2-3 mph, 5% incline
- 1:00-2:00: Add .2-1 point to speed, 4% incline
- 2:00-3:00: Increase speed, 3% incline
- 3:00-4:00: Push your pace to a power walk (add 1 point), 2% incline
- 4:00-4:30: Slow speed, 1% incline
- 4:30-5:00: Walk at max speed
- 5:00-6:00: Walk at slow pace (2-3 mph) to recover
- 6:00-6:45: Increase speed, incline 1%
- 6:45-7:30: Increase speed again, incline 3%
- 7:30-8:15: Slow speed, incline 1%
- 8:15-9:00: Increase speed, incline 5%
- 9:00-10:00: Cool down: Incline 0-1%
Tips to get the most out of your walk
Nolan shared some of his top tips for getting the most out of your walks:
- Go at your own pace. "It is not a race. As long as you’re moving one step in front of the other. You’re doing exactly what you need to do,” he says.
- Hydrate. Nolan encourages people to drink water before, during and after a walk. While hydrating is especially important when exercising outdoors in the heat, many people forget they still need to replenish fluids lost during indoor workouts.
- Wear the right shoes. "My most important tip, please wear comfortable shoes," he says. "I don’t care what brand shoe you like to wear. I don’t care what color shoe you like to wear. Just make sure whatever you’re wearing on your feet is comfortable, fits you well, no blisters, nothing like that."
- Be mindful of form. “Remember whenever you’re going on a walk, it is a total-body exercise, it’s not just your legs," he says. "So as far as your form goes, remember, use your arms, use your entire body, lean into (it). I don’t want you leaning back when you’re going on these walks." When using a treadmill, it's especially important to use your hands, pump your arms and don’t grab the handles, which negates the incline and devalues your workout, he says.
- Play with speed. “When you’re going on a walk, it’s important to play with your pace, with your tempo. Slow down for parts of your walk, speed up for parts of your walk," Nolan suggests. "Play with it. It’s a great way to build your confidence and of course your cardiovascular (health).”
- Buddy up. Find a walking partner for “safety and accountability," he says. "If you go on a walk with your friend, they’re going to ask you, are we doing our walk today? And even the days where you feel like you can’t go on that walk, you have a friend reminding you. So that’s why it’s important to have a friend. Keep each other accountable, keep each other safe and keep each other motivated.”