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    Step Into Your Best Shape With The WH Walking Challenge

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    Starting a new exercise programme can be daunting. We get that! And it’s why we’re so excited about the Women’s Health Big Book of Walking Workouts, which proves once and for all that you don’t have to overhaul your entire life to meet your weight loss and fitness goals – you simply have to put one foot in front of the other.

    The WH Walking Challenge is a six-week programme that gives you weekly walking targets, plus workouts to keep you strong and fit. Let’s get moving!

    How To Get Started

    All you need is a good pair of walking shoes for major fitness gains! But following a few basic tips can make your walking challenge experience a whole lot more comfortable and enjoyable.

    Eat a small snack before you set out. To eat or not to eat before exercise is a matter of personal preference, but a big breakfast will likely weigh you down and you don’t want to get a stitch! Have a small snack, like a banana, a small yoghurt or half a slice of toast with peanut butter, and save brekkie for when you get home.

    Drink a glass of water. Your body will be dehydrated after a night’s sleep so drink one glass of water to keep you hydrated during your walk, but not desperate for the loo!

    Start slowly. Because walking is a low-impact activity, there’s no need to do a long warm-up. Simply start at a slow pace for five to ten minutes and pick it up once your body has warmed up.

    Wear reflective gear. If you’re new to walking on the road for exercise, make sure you wear bright and preferably reflective clothing. It’s still gloomy in the early mornings.

    READ MORE: 4 Easy Exercises You Can’t Ignore If You’re Walking For Weight Loss

    Find Your Fitness

    When you start the walking challenge, it’s good to know your fitness level so you can see how you improve over time. Dr James Rippe, a professor of biomedical sciences, developed the following formula to help walkers assess their fitness by age. Walk 1.6km (a mile) as quickly as you can, then compare your time: If you exceed the ideal time for your age group by three to six minutes or more, you’re not in the best shape aerobically. But don’t worry; just keep walking. Exercising consistently can lower your time.

    Under 30 years: If you can walk 1.6km in 13 minutes or less, you’re in great shape!

    30-39 years: 14 minutes means you’re in good cardio health!

    40-59 years: 14-15 minutes means you’re in peak condition.

    60-69 years: 15 minutes is an excellent pace!

    70+ years: If you can walk it in 18 minutes or so, you’re very fit.

    The WH Walking Challenge

    Follow the six-week plan below, designed by international trainer Leigh Crews, to get fitter and tone up your legs, tummy and bum. If you don’t have access to hills or stairs within your 5km radius, do a brisk pace walk for those sessions instead. Print this plan or screen grab it and save it on your phone for easy access.

    Jiggle-Blasting Strength Moves

    Do these in addition to your walk on days 3, 5 and 7 of the walking challenge. Use your walk as your warm-up, then do these moves when you get home. A set is 8-12 reps unless otherwise indicated.

    Glute Bridge

    How to: Lie on your back with feet flat against the floor and knees bent. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off of the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Pause at the top, then lower back down to the starting position.

    Reverse Lunge With Twist

    How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with sliders under your feet, and hands behind your head. Slide back with your right leg and lower until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. Keeping your hands behind your head, twist your body to the left. Return to centre, then push through your left foot to return to start. That’s one rep.

    Lying Hamstring Curl

    How to: Start lying on back with knees bent, feet on top of a towel or paper. Engage core, then press into heels and squeeze glutes to raise hips toward the ceiling. Hold the position as you extend legs to straight. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. 

    Weighted Fire Hydrant

    How to: Get on all fours on top of your mat. Tuck a two to six-kilo dumbbell in the crease of your right knee. Keeping that leg bent at 90 degrees, lift it out to the side, stopping at hip height. Return to start. That’s one rep.

    Heat It Up Hill Walk

    This workout incorporates inclines and specific intervals to help target your glute muscles while you walk. If you don’t have access to a hill or stairs, simply swap these sessions in the walking challenge for brisk-pace walks instead. You’ll still score major benefits!

    How It Works

    Walk for 30 minutes, hitting a hill, bridge or stairs if you can. Time how long it takes to go up a hill or staircase, then recover by walking on level ground for about half that time. For instance, if you took 40 seconds to get up a hill, recover for 20 seconds. Timing doesn’t have to be exact, but this is a good gauge. If you don’t have access to a hill, power walk as fast as you can for the incline parts, then slow your pace for the recovery.

    Follow this pattern for your 30-minute walk:

    PART 1: 5 minutes; Easy pace, like you’re window shopping

    PART 2: 5 minutes; Flat walk at a semi-brisk pace, like you’re walking with purpose.

    PART 3 (Repeat 5 times): 1:30 minutes incline or fast power walk; 1 minute flat or semi-brisk recovery walk. *Note: If your incline takes less than 1:30 minutes to the top, keep going up and down for this amount of time then walk on the flat for the recovery minute.

    PART 4: 5 minutes; Easy pace, like you’re window shopping

    Butt Shaper Walk

    Do this 35-35 minute routine on the stipulated days in the walking challenge programme, focusing on squeezing your bum. Try to keep that contraction in your glutes as you walk.

    READ MORE: DIY Your Own Butt Workout At Home With These 15 Moves From A Trainer

    How It Works

    Start walking at an easy, window-shopping pace. Gradually increase to a brisk, late-for-an-appointment pace over the next 10 minutes.

    Now stop walking and do drill 1 for 20 seconds. (Each week, add another 20 seconds until you’re doing the drill for a full five minutes by week 6.)

    Walk briskly for 5 minutes, then do drill 2 for 20 seconds. Follow this pattern until you’ve done all drills, each time followed by 5 minutes of brisk walking.

    After the last drill and subsequent 5-min brisk walk, stroll at an easy pace for four minutes.

    Drill 1: Speed Skater

    Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Sweep your left leg out to the side and jump. In one smooth motion, land on your left leg in a partial squat and swing your right leg diagonally behind you (shown). Then leap to the right, sweeping your left leg behind you. Continue jumping side to side until time is up.

    Drill 2: Long Lunge with Reach

    Take a long step forwards with your left leg (about 60 to 90cm) and bend your knees as you simultaneously lean forward from your hips and reach as though setting something on the ground next to your front foot. Press into your left foot, pull your hands back and stand up with feet together. Switch sides and repeat drill until time is up.

    Drill 3: Single-Leg Step-Down

    Stand with your left foot on a step or curb, right leg hanging off. Bend your hips and left knee to lower your right foot, gently tapping your right heel on the ground. Press into your left heel and straighten your leg, then repeat until halfway through the set. Switch legs and continue until time is up.

    Drill 4: Heel Walk

    Raise your toes off the ground and walk so you’re balancing on your heels only. Take short, quick steps and swing your arms naturally. Your pace will probably be slower than normal. Continue until the time is up.

    Extracted from the Women’s Health Big Book of Walking Workouts. More

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      REVEALED: Join Angelique Van Der Linde At FNO – And The Exact Science Behind Our Step Workout

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      Forget Jane Fonda – step workouts are what’s happening, right now and here. And come 5th of August, we’re stepping up to the plate with our step-free step workout. Leading us will be fitness instructor and WBFF Fitness Pro Athlete Angelique Van Der Linde. And she’s bringing the canned heat to your feet. “I hope to bring a fit flavour that the ladies have not been exposed to. My baby is almost one year old and being able to train with all these like-minded women and celebrate our super-human strength as women is a privilege,” she says. 

      Angelique’s approach to fitness 

      When it comes to making sure you’re staying in shape, Angelique has a go-and-get-it attitude. “Health & wellness is like brushing your teeth. Don’t overthink it. Just get it done,” she says. At her class, you can expect to crush calories while having a blast. Think you’ve got two left feet? Don’t sweat it. “I promise to keep it super simple but to fill every moment with inspiration and fun! No one cares about the moves, just move in the same direction as all the rest and have fun,” she says. 

      [embedded content]

      Why we’re doing a step workout at FNO 

      From getting your heart pumping to challenging your muscles, here’s what you can expect from a high-intensity step class. 

      You’ll crush calories 

      Per personal data from one WH writer’s experience, just thirty minutes of steppin’ burned a whopping 200 calories alone. It’s also high-energy since jumping and stepping around will leave you drenched faster than you can sauce up some fries. 

      You’ll burn your quads and glutes 

      Step class is all about moving those legs, so expect your legs to burn. Stepping forwards and backwards (believe us) does a number on your quads and glutes, since these muscles serve as stabilisers that prevent you from falling over. 

      You’ll have fun 

      More than anything, this class, with its pumping feel-good music, will be fun. Expect to laugh as you try to master a killer step routine. 

      You’ll tone up 

      One study evaluated the effects of 12 weeks of step aerobics on elderly women. It found significant changes in waist circumference, and “had a positive effect on the functional fitness components of these older women,” the study notes. Plus, another study saw big improvements in V02 Max, meaning your overall fitness will improve. Get stepping, people! 

      Get ready for Fit Night Out! 

      From dancing to stepping, there’s something for everyone at Fit Night Out and you’re guaranteed a great time. “It’s always the biggest motivation to see so many women train together and share the love for health and wellness,” says Angelique. “When I see the sea of women in front of me, all feeling the rhythm and beat with a smile on their faces, that’s what I look forward to most! The class will be filled with hip-hop combinations mixed with some old-school step choreography. It’s something new, fresh but still familiar and anyone can join, benefit and enjoy this segment.” 

      Ready to get to it? Book your tickets to the fitness event of the year right here.  More

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      in lifestyle and culture

      Watch: This video proves Sheikh Hamdan is the most humble royal

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      Lifestyle

      by Sarah Joseph
      2 hours ago

      With the Dubai Fitness Challenge in full swing, Dubai’s Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum led the world’s largest fun run with total humility.
      Seen stretching and exercising before the Dubai Run, Sheikh Hamdan led the way at the most anticipated fitness event of the year on Sheikh Zayed road, which turned into a running track for athletes, UAE residents and tourists.
      A host of fitness enthusiasts spoke about the delight of running next to Dubai’s Crown Prince on Sheikh Zayed Road, with some recalling His Highness “shook our hands and waved at us”.
      Fazza shared a series of photos on his Instagram page with the caption, “More than 193,000 ran together – thank you #Dubai.”

      Post-event His Highness shared his gratitude for all those who turned out for the Dubai Run saying he was “moved by the strength of our community and seeing what we can achieve when we work together”.
      As a myriad of fitness enthusiasts of all ages, skills and abilities participated in the 5-kilometre run where he shook hands with runners and smiled at others.

      The exhilarating run spanned across two main routes of 5km and 10km, each of which went through the Dubai Canal, Dubai World Trade Centre, Museum of the Future and other prominent landmarks.
      Designed to transform the emirate into one of the most active cities, Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) is an initiative that has always focused on. Through a month of all-inclusive, free fitness events and other leading fitness challenges, Fazza ensures the UAE continues to succeed in this path.
      – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
      Images: Instagram @faz3 More

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      “I Did A 30-Day Push-up Challenge—Here’s What Happened”

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      There’s a reason military sergeants demand push-ups as a form of punishment. They are effing hard, can knock even the fittest off their feet—okay, toes—and seem to be designed to reveal weaknesses. So much so that fitness editors have been guilty of blowing off the classic move. My go-to excuses when they pop up in a class or training session: “I’m too sore” or “My elbow hurts!”
      But! They’re also one of the all-time exercise MVPs, no question. Push-ups are mega-efficient multitaskers—working your whole body in every rep.
      With fitness streaks (a month of repeating the same exercise every day) being all the rage, we wondered: Could committing to a 30-day push-up challenge finally change our feelings toward the little guys, all while chiselling our muscles? Ready to rid myself of my own cop-outs and make something of my average arms, I signed up to find out.
      READ MORE: Quick HIIT Warm Up: Blast More KJs By Doing These 3 Moves First
      Wanna Try A Fitness Challenge? Here’s What To Do – And What To Avoid
      First step in taking on a 30-day push-up challenge: I called personal-training connoisseur Tony Gentilcore, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, to help me devise the plan.
      Modified (or “girlie”) push-ups—which so many of us drop into to up our rep count—were out of the question; they don’t build strength in the full range of up-down motion, so they’re no help. But no need for tons of reps, anyway.
      Some push-up challenges online – you’ll find thousands – will call for 100 push-ups a day, or some that add more to the set every day. Not necessary, according to Gentilcore. Our 30-day push-up challenge called for just 10 pushups each day.
      “Ten is the minimal effective and sustainable dose,” Gentilcore said—meaning, it’s just enough to induce noticeable changes in upper-body strength and appearance without overloading you to the point of quitting. Even then, “take as long as you need—or split them up over the day—to make sure you’re completing high-quality reps,” he told me.
      As someone who works out six days a week, I thought, ten push-ups? No prob—I can knock those out after my workouts or while I’m cooking dinner. But the first few days were unexpectedly tough. Since my typical routine had mostly consisted of exercises like biceps curls and shoulder presses (muscle-isolating moves) and occasional boxing, my upper body parts weren’t used to working together to hoist my body weight. And while this new daily stress on the same muscle groups never left me can’t-wash-my-hair sore, I definitely shook through the end of my set on Friday.
      READ MORE: It’s Time To Try Padel: The New Social Sport Everyone’s Talking About
      30-Day Push-Up Challenge: Finding Momentum
      Still, things turned around fairly quickly: On day one, it took me five minutes (and several breaks) to get through 10 polished, chest-to-the-floor reps. By day 15, it took me under three minutes. On day 30, it took me just 27 seconds. “The more you do something, the better you get at it, because you’re improving communication between your neurons and muscles,” explains Gentilcore.
      Not only did my push-ups become easier, but everything else I did in the gym—planks, ball slams, battle ropes—felt less taxing too. “A lot of people think the best way to measure progress is through brute strength—where you test how much weight you can possibly move for one rep,” he says. “But a far better gauge of progress is whether you’re less fatigued after completing the same amount of work.” Awesome-sauce.
      Now let’s talk about the other kind of progress—the flexed-muscles kind. Did I go from meh muscles to dope guns? Not quite. Turns out, unless you are a genetically blessed muscle gainer, per Gentilcore, 30 days isn’t exactly long enough to develop lasting definition. Muscle growth and fat loss—the combo that lets those babies shine through—usually takes a bit longer, at least six-ish weeks.
      Push-Up Variations
      Try the variations in this video if you’re bored with the run-of-the-mill push-ups:
      [embedded content]
      The Results: Do 30-Day Push-Up Challenges Work?
      What I did see after the month? Noticeably more sculpted shoulders—to the point that my tops started to fit higher up on my chest—and slightly more pronounced biceps and triceps. I also saw a very welcome bonus: flatter abs. “To do a clean push-up, your core has to engage to keep your hips level throughout—hence the tighter stomach.”
      And here’s the best change: When I walked into boxing-meets-HIIT hot spot Rumble last week and had to crank out 30 push-ups, I didn’t spit out an alibi about the previous night’s margs or throw my gloves in the instructor’s face.
      Competence is a crucial ingredient to confidence—which, as Gentilcore puts it, “is the secret to not only maintaining an activity, but also enjoying it.” Perhaps that’s why 15 days post-challenge, I’m still going strong—and not as a punishment, but as a reward.
      This article was originally featured on www.womanshealthmag.com

      READ MORE ON: Fitness Challenge Real Women WH Tests It More

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      ‘I Tried the Workout Routine That Helped Adele Achieve Her Results & Woah’

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      She’s trained like Brie Larson, J Lo, and even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but this time, YouTuber and fitness coach Lucy Davis takes on Adele’s workout routine – and it’s a bit of a gnarly one.
      15-time Grammy winner Adele was the talk of the town when she lost 45kg of body weight over the course of about two years. But, honestly? We suggest you don’t give a Peppa Pig about what she weighs – as, based on her responses from the countless times she has been probed about her appearance, neither does she. She trains for strength, improved health (physical, sure, but also mental and emotional), and a bloomin’ good time. That’s what it’s really about, right?
      Hyped – and a tad apprehensive – Davis took to the gym to train à la Adele.

      It’s not for the time-poor
      Adele’s workout routine is, apparently, a meaty 3-parter comprised of cardio, weights, and a walk or hike. Every. Single. Day. Yikes.
      Of course, only the insane would do that in one fell swoop, but totted up, it could take a good 2.5 hours to complete (if you allow 45-60 minutes for weight training, 30 minutes to get your sweat on doing cardio, and a further 60-odd minutes to hit the recommended 10k daily step count).

      Davis notes that not only is this kind of training not sustainable, it’s also not necessary, and we couldn’t agree more. ‘I completely understand that that’s quite a lot to do all the time, but from what I’ve read she [Adele] didn’t do that every single day – she did Pilates and yoga some days,’ she says.

      READ MORE: “After Doing Kate Hudson’s Workouts For A Week, I Understand Why She’s So Fit”

      Davis suggests that Adele might’ve been working towards a fat loss goal, but Adele actually set the record straight on this during an interview with British Vogue earlier this year, saying: ‘It was never about losing weight, it was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone.’ However, friendly reminder, if fat loss is your goal you absolutely do not need to cane it in the gym for hours on end. There are Far (capital F) safer, more sustainable, and more enjoyable methods.

      Cracking on with the cardio
      Rumour has it (geddit?) that when Adele does do this mammoth session, she starts with weights in the morning, followed by a walk in the afternoon and cardio later in the day. For convenience (because who really wants to make two trips to the gym?), Davis completes 2/3 parts in one visit – starting with the cardio portion.
      A few minutes into a half-hour stint on the stepper, Davis is not having a fun time. ‘I’m already bored,’ she says, and we can relate. Bored doesn’t equal easy, though, and she finishes the cardio workout significantly warmer than when she started. ‘Oh my god, I’m literally so hot. Honestly, look at that –’ *lifts jumper to show sweat patches* ‘like I’m literally dripping with sweat. […] I don’t usually sweat like this unless I’m doing a 10k run.’

      READ MORE: ​Why Nadia Jaftha Is Done With Waiting For Other People’s Validation

      Feeling the fatigue
      Moving onto the weights section of the workout, Davis expresses her excitement at hearing Adele stans deadlifts. ‘She loves deadlifts! There was a stat where she [went from] lifting the bar to like 170lbs or something. I was like’ *claps*. ‘We love to see it. We love a strong woman,’ she says.
      On Davis’ list of exercises to complete were deadlifts, pull-ups (‘I absolutely love pull-ups – they’re a fantastic exercise,’), squats, lunges, lateral raises, and jump squats. She notes that, as the workout progresses, she feels more fatigued than normal, while her heart rate is particularly high. ‘Just realised my heart rate has been at 140-145 – quite unusual for me for a workout actually,’ she says.

      The weights section is concluded with a few sets of ab crunches, which are especially lethal following compound exercises like deadlifts and squats that recruit multiple muscle groups – including the core. ‘Wow, this is a tough time,’ Davis says midway through the first of three sets.
      When she’s asked how she feels afterwards, she responds: ‘Really quite sore, I won’t lie to you.’

      READ MORE: Kim Kardashian Barely Does Any Cardio, According To Her Trainer

      The home straight
      Davis concludes her day of training like Adele with a walk in her local area, before reflecting on the three-part workout she bossed. ‘It’s a really good session it’s just quite like… I think it was the cardio at the start – it makes it obviously quite lengthy […] and it starts to drag on a bit but, overall, it’s actually a really good session. 100% you can do this – this is good, this is not crazy like The Rock workout. This is good.’
      Our thoughts? We definitely wouldn’t recommend doing three workouts a day. As Davis says, it’s neither safe nor sustainable, and TBH, the only reason she’s not totally floored is probably because she’s a former professional swimmer and has extreme workouts like The Rock’s to compare Adele’s to. Basically, she’s a machine, but it could be seriously dangerous for us mere mortals.

      [embedded content]

      Adele’s three-part workout
      For nosey’s sake, here’s the full breakdown of Adele’s session that Davis completed. Again, please do not try this at home.
      Part 1: Cardio

      30 minutes of steady-state, moderate-intensity cardio. Davis used a stairmaster, but this could include a row, cycle, jog – you get the gist.

      Part 2: Weights

      Conventional barbell deadlifts – 4 sets of 8 reps
      Pull-ups (regular, banded, or assisted) – 3 sets of 8 reps
      Squats (barbell or dumbbell) – 4 sets of 10 reps
      Dumbbell lunges – 4 sets of 12 reps
      Superset dumbbell lateral raises with jump squats – 4 sets of 12/12 reps
      Ab crunches – 3 sets of 10 reps

      Part 3: Walk or hike
      Davis notes that there’s nowhere to hike near where she lives, so she opts for a low-intensity walk.
      This story was first published in womenshealthmag/uk

      READ MORE ON: Celeb News Fitness Fitness Challenge More

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      We Nominate YOU To Do The 25-A-Day Push-Up Challenge

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      Since the world went into lockdown, there have been loads of fitness challenges doing the rounds on social media. Most recently, the 25-a-day push-up challenge has taken over Facebook. If you haven’t seen your friends dropping and doing 25, here’s the low-down: You do 25 push-ups a day for 25 days to raise awareness for […] More

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      The Women’s Health Lockdown Challenge 2.0 Is Here To Keep You Going Strong 💪🏾

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      If you’ve ever done a group exercise class, you’ll know that special kind of betrayal that comes when you’re about to finish your set and your instructor yells, “five more reps!”. We know it well. And it has us wondering: Does President Cyril Ramaphosa secretly moonlight as a group fitness instructor? Lockdown was meant to […] More