Walk-running: the walking workshop session four

Make no mistake: Walking is not a second-class fitness activity. It can get you into top-notch shape, help you lose weight and tone your muscles. However, some walkers want to run at least some of the time. If you feel a need for speed but your joints can't handle incessant pounding, consider doing a 'walk-run'. Here's how:

A walk-run incorporates intervals of running throughout your walking workout so you can increase exercise intensity and burn more calories. Picking up the pace for short intervals makes you work harder without straining your body for long periods of time. It's just another way to get more bang for your fitness buck and spice up your usual walk.

The amount of time you run in your programme depends on a number of factors: If you've never run a step in your life or running for more than a few minutes at a time makes your knees ache (not to mention the rest of your body), try this: After your 5-to-10-minute warm-up at an easy walking pace, alternate 30 seconds of running with 2 minutes of medium-to-fast paced walking. Repeat this cycle 5-10 times for a total of 12-25 minutes of walk-running. Follow this with a 5-to-10-minute cool-down at an easy pace. You can gradually increase your running intervals to 2 minutes for a total of 20-40 minutes of walk-runningIf you can run for at least five continuous minutes without feeling out of breath or achy, try this: After your walking warm-up, alternate 5 minutes of running with 5 minutes of medium-to-fast-paced walking for a total of 3-6 walk-run cycles (30-60 minutes). Finish up with an easy-paced cool-down