It's the 4th of July, or at least it will be very soon. And you've been walking for a couple of months now and your feeling confident that you can dial it up a notch, but how much of that notch do you have in your tank to push yourself to the next level?
We know you love walking and we do, too! It's one of the best ways to stay healthy and keep your waistline in check. But when you're short on time (and who isn't?) or stuck on a plateau, running is another do-anywhere, no-equipment-required alternative that ramps up weight loss. Consider a walk-to-run program to increase your calorie burn.
Adding even a few minutes to your walks can build stronger bones and cut your exercise time nearly in half: Minute for a minute, running burns about twice as many calories as walking.
But if you think you're too old or too out of shape or that running will damage your knees (research shows it won't), don't take it from us. Take it from the 46- to 67-year-old women who tested our walk-to-run program: They saw pounds disappear as soon as the first week, and by 8 weeks, they had shaved up to 20 inches off their butts, thighs, waistlines, hips, and arms and dropped nearly three sizes—all without dieting! In fact, even those who didn't lose much weight erased as many as 5 inches of belly fat.
This 8-week plan is specifically designed to be safe for would-be runners over 40. You'll gradually increase your running time, allowing your body to adjust without aches or strain, and perform targeted toning exercises and stretches to protect against injuries. And don't be surprised if you become a convert—adults in one study who tried jogging reported enjoying their workouts 30% more than when they walked, possibly because running stimulates more good-mood hormones in the brain, say researchers.
The Experts Behind the Program: Danny Dreyer, who is the author of Chi Running and specializes in teaching beginners how to run pain-free, created the walk/run plan. Vonda Wright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and author of Fitness After 40, designed the strength/stretching workout.
Workout at a Glance
What you need: Running shoes. While it's fine to walk in running shoes, it's not safe to run in walking ones since they're designed to absorb less impact.
3 days a week: Do run/walk intervals
3 alternate days: Do 30 to 60 minutes of any low-impact cardio (such as walking, biking, or swimming), plus toning moves and stretches.
Customize your workout: Don't want to run full-time? Stop at whatever week feels good to you. To step it up after week 8, add 5 minutes a week until you reach 60 minutes.
Your 8-Week Training Plan
Before and after every workout, do 4 minutes of easy walking to warm up and cool down. You can rearrange days as needed, but don't run on back-to-back days—ditto for toning moves.
Week 1
Monday: Run 1 min/walk 3 min; do 13 times (total 60 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Repeat Monday's routine
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Repeat Monday's routine
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 2
Monday: Run 3 min/walk 2 min; do 8 times (total 48 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Run 3 min/walk 1 min; do 8 times (total 40 min)
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Repeat Wednesday's routine
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 3
Monday: Run 5 min/walk 3 min; do 6 times (total 56 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Run 5 min/walk 2 min; do 6 times (total 50 min)
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Run 5 min/walk 1 min; do 6 times (total 44 min)
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 4
Monday: Run 8 min/walk 3 min; do 3 times (total 41 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Run 8 min/walk 2 min; do 3 times (total 38 min)
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Run 8 min/walk 1 min; do 3 times (total 35 min)
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 5
Monday: Run 10 min/walk 3 min; do 3 times (total 47 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Run 10 min/walk 2 min; do 3 times (total 44 min)
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Run 10 min/walk 1 min; do 3 times (total 41 min)
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 6
Monday: Run 15 min/walk 2 min; do 2 times (total 42 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Repeat Monday's routine
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Run 15 min/walk 1 min; do 2 times (total 40 min)
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 7
Monday: Run 20 min/walk 2 min/ run 10 min (total 40 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Repeat Monday's routine
Thursday: Low-impact cardio
Friday: Run 20 min/walk 1 min/run 10 (total 39 min)
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
Week 8
Monday: Run 25 min/walk 2 min/ run 5 min (total 40 min)
Tuesday: Low-impact cardio
Wednesday: Run 25 min/walk 1 min/run 5 min (total 39 min) Low-impact cardio
Thursday: Low-impact cardio; Run Strong moves (A & B)
Friday: Run 30 min!!! (total 38 min) Low-impact cardio
Saturday: Low-impact cardio
Sunday: Rest
After following this program, you should be able to see the difference in how you feel after week8 so that you can run a longer distance for a considerable length of time. The rest is up to you. Maintaining a regular running program will allow you to go any distance you set your mind to. Tracking your progress is important to you during this training process and after you progress to where you're pushing yourself for running longer distances. To do this you need a good activity tracker like the Garmin Vívosport GPS Sport & Activity Tracker
During a run, walk or ride, Vívosport is able to track distance, time and speed or pace and even map it out for you on Garmin Connect. It’s also preloaded with additional timed activities, including strength training and cardio, so you can work out the way you like. This will also track the Low-Impact Cardio training you’re doing on your “Off” days.
So, you made up your mind to go from a walker to a runner!
Get that Vívosport strapped on and trade in your walking shoes for a good quality pair of running shoes and let's see just how good you can be!