Walking is an easy and inexpensive exercise that is very beneficial for your health. What most people don’t know is that making a few simple changes to the way you perform this exercise might make the difference between a flabby belly and toned abs. Walking strengthens the transversus abdominis muscle that is responsible for giving your abdomen a flat shape. Here are some ways by which you can improve your walking exercises for maximum effect on your abdominal region.
1. Add resistance
Adding resistance to any kind of exercise, including walking, is a surefire way for you to burn more calories and gain more muscle. This increase in muscle mass leads to an increase in your basal metabolic rate, which refers to the way your body burns fat when you are at rest. An increased basal metabolic rate means a reduction in overall weight, including your waist size. You can add resistance by walking up some stairs or up a hill.
Increasing your speed is another way to burn fat while walking. Try to walk 1000 steps every 10 minutes. You can use a device to track these steps.
2. Arm movements
Punching your arm forward while you walk can help you increase your metabolic rate. Doing a front jab requires holding your fisted hands at shoulder level, then sharply thrusting your arms forward while twisting slightly. Try to do about 20 of these forward jabs for every 2 minutes that you walk.
Swinging your arms quickly can also improve your fat loss because it engages most of your muscle groups including your abs. You can get the most from these exercises by drawing in your abdominal muscles as you perform it.
3. Move your lower limbs
You can also walk with your legs straight to tone your abs. Doing this requires lifting your whole leg as high as you can instead of moving only your knee. Ensure that you are pulling in your abdominal muscles while doing this.
You should be able to achieve positive results if you incorporate these moves into your exercise. Shoot for 30 minute walking sessions for 5 days every week.
image courtesy of: livestrong.com.
