The secret to fitness walking is a strong core and limber joints. Strength training exercises for brisk walking should therefore combine endurance, flexibility and weight-bearing. 

strength exercises for brisk walking

Whilst strength training typically focuses on lifting weights and using other gym equipment, research shows the gym is not the most beneficial strength training exercises for brisk walking.

Health and fitness experts recommend focusing on strengthening the muscles and joints that are most specific to the activity you’re performing. 

Brisk walking puts the most strain on your shins, calves, hips and lower back. Your core muscles will also need a good workout together with balance and coordination. 

Rather than heading to the gym, you can perform strength training exercises for brisk walking at home or when you’re out and about; a park bench and steps for example. 

Goal Setting Strength Training Exercises for Walking

Strength training for brisk walking fundamentally involves muscle control and building up parts of the body that absorb the most pressure. 

The 15 exercises below, focus on weight-bearing postures together with improving flexibility in your knee, hip and ankle joints. The goals of these exercises are to: 

If you already have a regular fitness regime, the 15 strength training exercises for brisk walking outlined below can be incorporated into your typical exercise routine.

Alternatively, you can combine the exercises to build a training routine specifically designed for brisk walking. 

Warm-up for Strength Training

Before you dive straight into strength training exercises for brisk walking, take the time to warm up. This is important for boosting blood flow and lactating your muscles. Warm-ups reduce the risk of injury. 

If you are just starting a fitness program, take more time to sufficiently warm-up and don’t overdo your first couple of sessions. It’s important to listen to your body so don’t do the full round of reps we recommend below until your body is attuned to strength training exercises. 

To warm up, spend a few minutes performing hip swings, stretching your hamstrings, and flexing your knees and ankles. You should also walk at a moderate pace to warm up your limbs before you get into the heavy stuff. 

Speaking of which…

Strength Training Exercises for Brisk Walking

1. Balance and Reach

Balance is a quality that helps you to avoid injury during brisk walking. It’s also beneficial if you’re rambling across uneven terrain. 

To perform balance and reach exercises: 

2. Head for the Hills

Brisk walking requires endurance. You’ll be walking at a pace of around 3.5-5mph for 15-20 minutes stretches or more at a time so you need to build up your stamina.

Hillwalking increases the intensity of a strength training routine. Steep inclines are harder than running and give your calves and quadriceps a good workout. 

Coming down the other side is also beneficial for activating your core, connecting your mind-muscle coordination and your sense of balance. 

The number of hill walks you do during a strength training routine will depend on how the size of the hill and the type of other exercises you integrate into your workout. Either way, plan a least two hill climbs a week.

3. Heel-toe rock

The heel-toe rock is another great exercise to test your balance. It also strengthens your toes, ankles and calves. 

4. Back Lunge into Font Leg Stretch

Another balancing act: 

5. Side Planks

Side planks are useful for strengthening your core and, depending on your technique, can also benefit your balance and focus.

6. High-Knee Marches

This one is simple: 

7. Hip Opener 

Brisk walking relies heavily on the hips so this twisting abs exercise is an essential addition to any strength training program for brisk walking.

8. Squats 

It’s a classic but professional personal trainers agree squats are among the best strength training exercises for brisk walking. Squats work your legs but also impact your core and upper body strength. 

9. Ab Twists

The abdomen often gets overlooked as a strength training exercise for brisk walking. You may not realise it but you actually use your abdominal muscles more than you realise when you’re walking. 

10. Finger to Foot Stretch 

This is another ab twisting exercise and, in addition, works on your stamina to build fitness. 

11. Leg Curls 

Leg curls work your hamstrings and help to balance the growth of quadriceps which are synonymous with brisk walking. 

12. Ab crunches 

There are several ways to perform ab crunches. Our suggestion is designed for strength training exercises in a park in any weather – so if the grass is wet, you don’t have to lay down to crunch those abs

13. Hip Stretch

If your job entails sitting for most of the day, this hip stretch exercise will help loosen you up for brisk walking. 

14. Heel Walk

Weight-bearing exercises that work the muscles in front of the ankle and strengthens the feet are ideal for brisk walking.

15. Interval Walking 

Professional personal trainers that specialise in strength training exercises for brisk walking routines always recommend walking at a pace then resting. This helps your body to build endurance. 

The rests enable you to recover your breath and go again. This means you inevitably covering more distance. Ideally, you should use a circuit so you can measure your progress. 

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Maintaining good health is key to enjoying a richer quality of life. Research has shown that brisk walking is more beneficial than running because it doesn’t impact your hip, knee and ankle joints which can be painful as you age. 

With the Sweatcoin app, you can count the number of steps you make each day. Steps are then converted into digital tokens which can be used to purchase discounted merchandise from over 300 vendors that we have partnered with. 

Download the Sweatcoin app today and give your health a boost. 

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20.05.2021