While you are on vacation, the last thing you want to do is be stuck inside a hot sweaty gym. That makes it a great time to get creative with your exercise routine. Since you are on vacation to relax, why not have a workout that matches that mindset? Walking is the perfect solution for your vacation workout.
A lot of fitness gurus insist that to burn ‘x’ amount of calories we must exercise at a high intensity. Although we cannot argue with the fact that exercising at 60-80 percent of your maximum heart rate strengthens your heart and allows it to run more efficiently. It is also true that the quickest way to burn 100 calories is to do so at higher workout intensities.
All this being said, what if we simply aren’t ‘runners’ or we don’t enjoy the feeling of sweating and breathing heavily? Or, what if we’re on vacation and we simply do not want to spoil our relaxation with vigorous exercise? Does that mean that our hopes for a healthy heart and an effective workout are over?
Not exactly.
Don’t forget that walking is still exercise…especially if we change up the terrain that we are walking on. Here are some examples of walking terrains as well as the calories burned in 1 hour of moderate paced walking.
Flat, paved surface: 280 calories
Paved, hilly surface: 380 calories
Trail walking: 420 calories
Beach walking: 420 calories
Mountain hike: 560 calories
Up stairs: 560 calories
If walking is your exercise of choice, try these different terrains to get the most out of your workout. You will burn calories without having to spend your vacation in a sweaty indoor gym!
Gillian Johnson, BA CSCS