How to Power Up Your Walk

Increase your pace. Boosting your walk to burn more calories, building more cardiovascular endurance and increasing strength takes some changes to your routine. “There's walking, and then there's fitness walking — which is a brisk hurry-up pace,” Sansone says. If you're looking for a concrete number to follow, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently found that walking about 100 steps per minute constitutes a moderate-intensity walk, while 130 steps per minute defines a vigorous pace. But it's important to do what works for you, says Sansone, who adds that keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle and pumping your arms forward and back while you walk will help increase your stride no matter how many steps you're taking.

To add heart-boosting and fat-burning intervals to your walking routine, walk slow for one minute, then follow up with three to four minutes of a brisk walking pace. You can create your own intervals with a slower walk/brisk pace interval, based on your fitness level.

Add accessories. Walking or trekking poles are one of the easiest and safest ways to take your walk to the next level. “Walking poles bring your arms, chest and back into your walking workout, increasing strength and calorie burn,” Fenton explains. Weighted walking vests, with as little as two pounds, can also power up your walk by challenging muscles more and giving you a bigger calorie burn, Sansone explains. A simple pedometer or a pedometer app for your phone is another accessory that can help motivate you to go farther: They let you keep track of miles daily and weekly and, with some, even set step goals

Don't forget the water. Water bottles designed to be comfortably held, with a strap, while walking are also a key accessory. “The No. 1 nutritional recommendation for exercise is to drink plenty of water,” says Fenton, an adjunct associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Drinking to thirst (drinking when you're thirsty) is typically the advice given by experts such as Fenton, who also advises eating a snack before your walk — or bringing along that snack for extra energy, when necessary. (Not having enough to eat before exercising can cause dizziness if your blood sugar is low.) Fenton's favorite snacks to carry on a walk: a simple turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread, homemade trail mix (nuts, seeds, raisins and pumpkin seeds) and a whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and jelly. The mix of protein and/or whole grains helps fuel the body.

Take three minutes to stretch. Most of us think about stretching after a hard-core gym workout, but it's just as important to do so after walking. Doing so, Sansone says, increases blood flow to the muscles, which helps to boost flexibility and range of motion — and also protects the joints. “I love the standing stretch for my lower back and legs,” she says. To try it, simply bend over “as if you're going to touch your toes.” But don't force any stretch. Allow your body to stop when it needs to, before you feel any pain.

Next, try the standing calf stretch: Stand about 12 inches from a wall (or a tree, if outdoors) with your feet parallel. Place both hands on the wall at about shoulder height, bend your elbows and lean forward. Extend one leg straight out behind you and bend the other knee toward the wall, keeping both feet flat on the ground, with your toes pointing forward. Continue leaning toward the wall until you feel tension in the calf muscle of your rear straight leg. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds. Then repeat with the opposite leg.

Another effective post-walk stretch, Sansone says, is the simple quad stretch: Stand up straight with both knees touching each other. Hold onto a wall or chair with one hand for support. Using your free hand, grab the top of the corresponding foot (right hand would grab right foot, left hand would grab the left foot) and pull it toward your butt, keeping your bent knee parallel to the straight leg. (Allowing your knee to move too far forward or too far back can put extra tension on the knee.) Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then switch legs.