3 Walking Workouts That Burn Major Calories
Find an outdoor route or a treadmill and get started.
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These three 30-minute workouts, created by Lee Jordan, an American Council on Exercise–certified personal trainer, use speed, incline and short bursts of "wild card" moves (you'll see) to get your heart rate higher and help you torch more calories. You'll need a watch to keep track of your timing.
Workout #1 - Wild Card Walk
Minutes 1 to 5—Walk at a somewhat quick pace, a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Set your eyes on the horizon—it will keep your chest lifted and minimize any stress on your neck or lower back.
Minutes 5 to 7—Pick a wild card movement and do it for 2 minutes. Your options: walking backward, side shuffling, skipping, Groucho walking (switching between four regular steps and four steps in a partial squat) or arm pulls (reach your arm up over your head and pull down like you're pulling on a rope, alternating arms). You should feel like you're working at a level 7 or 8.
Minutes 7 to 12—Back to a level 6
Minutes 12 to 14—Wild card move. It can be the same one you did the first time or you can mix it up with a new option.
Minutes 14 to 19—Level 6
Minutes 19 to 21—Wild card move
Minutes 21 to 25—Level 6
Minutes 25 to 27 —Wild card move
Minutes 27 to 30—Level 6
Workout #2 - Sprint Interval Walk
Minutes 1 to 4:30—Walk at a pace where you can carry on a conversation without difficulty, about a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Minutes 4:30 to 5—Pick up the pace so you reach a level 8 (but still walking, not jogging). You should be breathing hard, and if you had to talk to someone, it'd be a challenge. Keep your elbows bent and your shoulders relaxed—you'll be able to swing your arms faster to help you increase your speed.
Minutes 5 to 9:30—Back to your conversational pace
Minutes 9:30 to 10—Bring your speed back up to your challenging pace
Minutes 10 to 14:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 14:30 to 15—Challenging pace
Minutes 15 to 19:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 19:30 to 20—Challenging pace
Minutes 20 to 24:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 24:30 to 25—Challenging pace
Minutes 25 to 29:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 29:30 to 30—Challenging pace
*You can make this one harder and increase your calorie burn by shortening the conversational pace periods and adding more short bursts at your challenging pace.
Workout #3—Step Wise Interval Walk
Minutes 1 to 5—Walk at a pace where you can easily carry on a conversation. On a scale of 1 to 10, you're working at a level 4.
Minutes 5 to 9—Take the intensity level up a bit so it's slightly harder to carry on a conversation. You'll continue to add to your intensity level every 4 minutes—by the end of the workout, you should feel you're working at a level 7 to 8. You can do this by increasing your speed or adding incline if you're on a treadmill. As your intensity gets tougher, remember to land on your heels to keep the correct heel-to-toe walking motion. You'll be able to go faster than if your whole foot hit the ground at once. Increase your intensity again at minutes 13, 17 (you should be at a level 6-ish or a somewhat quick pace now), 21 and 25 (you're at a level 7 or 8, and you'll stay at this intensity until the end of the workout).
Workout #1 - Wild Card Walk
Minutes 1 to 5—Walk at a somewhat quick pace, a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Set your eyes on the horizon—it will keep your chest lifted and minimize any stress on your neck or lower back.
Minutes 5 to 7—Pick a wild card movement and do it for 2 minutes. Your options: walking backward, side shuffling, skipping, Groucho walking (switching between four regular steps and four steps in a partial squat) or arm pulls (reach your arm up over your head and pull down like you're pulling on a rope, alternating arms). You should feel like you're working at a level 7 or 8.
Minutes 7 to 12—Back to a level 6
Minutes 12 to 14—Wild card move. It can be the same one you did the first time or you can mix it up with a new option.
Minutes 14 to 19—Level 6
Minutes 19 to 21—Wild card move
Minutes 21 to 25—Level 6
Minutes 25 to 27 —Wild card move
Minutes 27 to 30—Level 6
Workout #2 - Sprint Interval Walk
Minutes 1 to 4:30—Walk at a pace where you can carry on a conversation without difficulty, about a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Minutes 4:30 to 5—Pick up the pace so you reach a level 8 (but still walking, not jogging). You should be breathing hard, and if you had to talk to someone, it'd be a challenge. Keep your elbows bent and your shoulders relaxed—you'll be able to swing your arms faster to help you increase your speed.
Minutes 5 to 9:30—Back to your conversational pace
Minutes 9:30 to 10—Bring your speed back up to your challenging pace
Minutes 10 to 14:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 14:30 to 15—Challenging pace
Minutes 15 to 19:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 19:30 to 20—Challenging pace
Minutes 20 to 24:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 24:30 to 25—Challenging pace
Minutes 25 to 29:30—Conversational pace
Minutes 29:30 to 30—Challenging pace
*You can make this one harder and increase your calorie burn by shortening the conversational pace periods and adding more short bursts at your challenging pace.
Workout #3—Step Wise Interval Walk
Minutes 1 to 5—Walk at a pace where you can easily carry on a conversation. On a scale of 1 to 10, you're working at a level 4.
Minutes 5 to 9—Take the intensity level up a bit so it's slightly harder to carry on a conversation. You'll continue to add to your intensity level every 4 minutes—by the end of the workout, you should feel you're working at a level 7 to 8. You can do this by increasing your speed or adding incline if you're on a treadmill. As your intensity gets tougher, remember to land on your heels to keep the correct heel-to-toe walking motion. You'll be able to go faster than if your whole foot hit the ground at once. Increase your intensity again at minutes 13, 17 (you should be at a level 6-ish or a somewhat quick pace now), 21 and 25 (you're at a level 7 or 8, and you'll stay at this intensity until the end of the workout).
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