Walk it off Challenge - Week 2

WEEK TWO

Goal: This week, we're going to work on your technique and add in some strengthening exercises. Continue to walk 30 minutes a day, six times a week and concentrate on maintaining good form. Your goal is to add two, 20-minute strengthening sessions to your regular routine.

Don't worry much about your walking speed or distance. At this point you're still in the process of making this a habit. Perfecting your walking form will help you in the weeks to come by making it easier to pick up the pace and walk for longer periods of time without getting tired or injured.

The twice-weekly strength training sessions are also important for injury prevention. There are other benefits to including them in your routine as well:

• Strength training helps you firm and tone.
• Stronger muscles have more stamina so you'll be able to walk more easily.
• Building muscles speeds up your metabolism so you lose weight faster.

Separate your strength training sessions by at least one day to give your muscles time to rest and recover. Do 1-3 sets of each exercise in the order they're listed below, 8-15 repetitions per set.

Basic Strength Training Routine

Squat

A. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, your weight slightly back on your heels, and place your hands on your hips. Pull your abdominals in, stand up tall with square shoulders and a lifted chest.

B. Sit back and down, as if you're going to sit on a chair directly behind you. Lower as far as you can without leaning your upper body more than a few inches forward (this depends on your flexibility and your build). If you can, bend your knees far enough so that your thighs are parallel to the floor, but don't go any further than that and don't allow your knees to travel out in front of your toes. Once you feel your upper body fold forward over your thighs, straighten your legs and stand back up. Take care not to lock your knees at the top of the movement.

Toe Raise

A. Stand on the edge of a step. (Or, if you have a step aerobics platform, place two sets of risers underneath the platform.) Stand tall with the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step and your heels hanging over the edge. Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance. Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in.

B. Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so that you're on your tiptoes. Hold the position for a moment, and then lower your heels back down. Lower your heels below the platform in order to stretch your calf muscles.

Pullover

A. Holding a single dumb-bell with both hands, lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and your arms directly over your shoulders. Turn your palms up so that one end of the dumb-bell is resting in the gap between your palms and the other end is hanging down over your face. Pull your abdominals in, but make sure your back is relaxed and arched naturally.

B. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower the weight behind your head until the bottom end of the dumb-bell is directly behind your head. Pull the dumb-bell back up overhead, keeping the same slight bend in your elbows throughout the motion.

Push Up

A. Lie on your stomach, bend your knees, and cross your ankles. Bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor a bit to the side and in front of your shoulders. Straighten your arms and lift your body so you're balanced on your palms and knees. Tuck your chin a few inches towards your chest, so your forehead faces the floor. Tighten your abdominals.

B. Bend your elbows and lower your entire body at once. Rather than trying to touch your chest to the floor, lower only until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Push back up.

Shoulder Press

A. Hold a dumb-ell in each hand and sit on a bench with back support. Plant your feet firmly on the floor about hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise your upper arms to shoulder height so that the dumb-bells are at ear level. Pull your abdominals in so that there's a slight gap between the small of your back and the bench. Place the back of your head against the pad.

B. Push the dumb-bells up and in until the ends of the dumb-bells are nearly touching directly over your head and then lower the dumbbells back to ear level.

Bench Dip

A. Sit on the edge of a bench with your legs together and straight in front of you, toes pointing up. Keeping your elbows relaxed, straighten your arms, place your hands about six inches apart, and firmly grip the edges of the bench. Slide your butt just off the front of the bench so that your upper body is pointing straight down. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your head centered between your shoulders.

B. Bend your elbows and lower your body in a straight line. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, push yourself back up.

Biceps Curl

A. Hold a dumb-bell in each hand and stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Let your arms hang down at your sides with your palms facing in. Pull your abdominals in, stand tall, and keep your knees relaxed.

B. Curl your right arm close to your shoulder, twisting your palm as you go so that it faces the front of your shoulder at the top of the movement. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down, and then repeat with your left arm. Continue alternating until you've completed the set.

Basic Crunch

A. Lie on the floor with your feet hip-width apart. Cradle your head in your hands without lacing your fingers together and with your elbows rounded slightly inward. Tilt your chin a small way towards your chest and pull your abdominal muscles in.

B. Exhale through your mouth as you curl your head, neck, and shoulders up off the floor. Hold at the top of the movement for a moment, then inhale as you slowly lower back down.

Next week: We'll start picking up speed and distance.

Week 3