The Power of Power Walking
This simple activity can become your favorite exercise of the week, too.
Walk. Fast.
That’s it. That’s the workout.
I never considered walking a fun workout, let alone a workout at all.
Turns out, it’s pretty enjoyable and a great way to burn fat!
Coach Mike wrote a great post last week on low intensity training, also known as Zone 1. You can read that post for more scientific details on how this type of training is physically and mentally beneficial, as well as other ow intensity exercises.
What I want to talk about is my experience with Zone 1 training, particularly, the power walk. To my surprise, this was by far my favorite activity that Coach Mike designed into my 12-week online training program, which I completed in the fall of 2019. With heavy strength and cross training days during the week, Coach Mike scheduled a power walk each Sunday morning, typically totalling 75 minutes. The goal with this activity is to get movement in with less stress on the body.
Honestly, I went into the first power walk a little skeptical. I was just starting the program, feeling pretty fresh overall, and didn’t understand what walking for an hour or so would do for my relatively in shape body -- even if it was at a “powerful” pace.
Truth time: I have some issues with being too competitive from playing sports my entire life. I’ve always thought you should kill yourself during a workout, and if you weren’t completely exhausted at the end, it meant you didn’t go hard enough.
I genuinely thought, “Is this guy serious? I’m supposed to just walk for 75 minutes?!” But I let go of my preconceptions and judgment, and gave it a shot.
And now I’m hooked.
Power walks are just as important to me mentally as they are physically, and here’s why: I can zone out. I’m not thinking about how many reps I’m doing, what set I’m on, how much weight to load, or how much time between exercises. My mind is free. I’m just moving, keeping a rhythm and letting my thoughts quiet down. Zen much?
Sometimes I find myself with a bit of anxiety just thinking about a strenuous upcoming work out because I know it will require a high level of energy… and I’d somehow have to muster that up. I’d start to dread a tough lift or an interval run later.
But that’s not the case for power walks.
It takes a few minutes to get into the zone (heyo), but in my experience, I get into a flow pretty quick. Usually by halfway through, I’m starting to feel a serious surge of energy and a positive mood swing, like my body and mind are charging up. Before I know it, time is up and I’m back home.
Physically, I feel great afterward. Not as fatigued as I would be after a run or cross training workout, but still tired in a low key way. Seriously, you’ll be surprised just how taxing walking can be. As I delved deeper into the 3-month routine, I really came to enjoy these lower intensity days and realized how much my body needed a rest.
Benefits to Power Walks:
Little or no sweating
Can multitask with podcast or talk on phone
Invite a friend to join
Low physical stress
No mental anxiety pre-training
Coach Mike recommends power walking first thing in the morning, after having coffee but without eating anything. As someone who never skips breakfast, this was hard for me! But here’s the most important thing - are you ready?
POWER means you are MOVING. We’re talking picking up your knees and swinging your arms, and keeping this pace consistent the entire time. Maintaining this level of Zone 1 is where the results come from.
Over the 12 weeks, I lost 13 lbs and dropped 5% body fat. And I attribute that long lasting change to a balance between high intensity, diet and power walks. I still do them regularly - in fact, I just got home from one with my family dog, and it’s how I got motivated to write this post and began forming it in my head
I truly am a believer in the magic of power walks to improve one’s focus, clarity, energy and motivation. If you really emphasize controlled breathing and clearing your mind, walking can become a form of meditation. And again, a major bonus is the low stress on the body.
Power walks are a great way to start the day. I’ve also utilized them for much needed breaks after sitting at a desk, and at the end of a long day to unwind instead of trying to amp up for a higher intensity workout. I suggest playing music to keep your pace pumping, or fire up that podcast you downloaded months ago and have been meaning to listen to. Or just focus on your breathing and hit that flow state.
Use the power walk however it will most benefit you, and no doubt you’ll understand its true POWER!
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