Accessible to all, brisk walking is the ideal exercise for maintaining good health and controlling weight in a gentle way. Taking stock!
What is brisk walking?
Brisk walking is walking at a steady pace, i.e. faster than strolling, but less intense than walking that causes breathlessness. It makes us breathe a little faster, but must not prevent us from speaking. Overall, this corresponds to a speed of 4 to 6 km per hour, on level ground.
Benefits for our health… and figure!
Like any physical activity, brisk walking burns calories. Even though this activity is gentler than an intense sport such as running, it still allows you to burn 200 to 300 calories per hour, which is far from negligible if carried out daily! Brisk walking is a very complete exercise that also helps to improve posture, strengthen joints and build up muscles in many parts of the body, such as the legs, buttocks, abdominal and back muscles. It is also ideal for gently maintaining your heart.
What are its equivalents?
Walking is the simplest and easiest exercise to do on a daily basis. It does not require special equipment and can be carried out by anyone, at any time. It has the advantage of being easy to integrate into our everyday life, for trips to work, shopping, a family walk, etc.
However, if you find it difficult to fit brisk walking into your daily routine, it can be replaced with:
– Other moderate-intensity physical activities, done for 30 minutes a day, e.g. washing windows or the car, vacuuming, gardening, etc.
– Higher intensity exercise. These can be carried out in less than 30 minutes (about 20 minutes), e.g. hill walking, digging the garden, skipping, cycling, swimming, etc.
– Lower intensity activities. These should be carried out over a longer period of time (about 45 minutes), e.g. walking slowly, washing dishes, ironing, dusting, tinkering, watering the garden, etc.
Should the 30 minutes take place in one go?
No pressure! They can be done in stages. If possible, it is best to do at least 10 minutes at a time.
As with any physical activity, don’t forget the golden rule: warm up well to avoid the risk of injury!
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