{"id":305426,"date":"2025-11-25T07:18:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/305426\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T07:18:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:18:16","slug":"a-personal-trainer-says-that-just-30-minutes-a-day-of-this-exercise-can-make-a-meaningful-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/305426\/","title":{"rendered":"A personal trainer says that \u201cjust 30 minutes a day of this exercise can make a meaningful difference\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

If I told you that lifting heavy weights for 30 minutes a day would make a meaningful difference to your health, you’d probably say, \u201cTell me something I don\u2019t know\u201d. Same with running and cycling.<\/p>\n

But what about that perennially underestimated form of exercise\u2014walking? Would you think there\u2019s as much to be gained?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking workouts support cardiovascular health, maintain joint mobility and help manage weight, all without putting undue strain on the body,\u201d says David Sautter<\/a>, a NASM-certified personal trainer at WalkFit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

\u201cEven just 30 minutes a day of this exercise can make a meaningful difference and be the perfect starting point for a healthier, more consistent fitness routine,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Do you want to start regular walking but have no idea where to start? Sautter shared his go-to walking workout recommendation from the WalkFit app. It\u2019s perfect for beginners or those who need a low-impact option to help them burn calories.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a steady pace walk, which takes 31 minutes, including the warm-up and cool-down.<\/p>\n

1. Warm-up<\/p>\n

Time: 6min<\/p>\n

Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.<\/p>\n

This warm-up comprises six dynamic stretches to get your muscles working and your joints lubricated before your walk. Do each stretch for one minute and then move on to the next.<\/p>\n

Rolls in split stance: Step one foot forward, your other foot back, and gently roll your weight through each foot before switching position of your feet halfway through the minute.Knee circles: Lift one knee slightly and draw small circles in the air with your foot, then switch sides.Hamstring stretch: Slightly bend your left knee and place your right heel on the floor in front of your, keeping your right leg straight. Hinge forward from your hips to feel a stretch in your right hamstring. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides, coming in and out of the stretch.Knee ups: Lift one knee to hip height, then the other, continuing as if marching in place.Side tilts: Stand up straight and slowly bend your torso to one side, then the other.Shoulder rotations: Circle your shoulders forward and backwards to loosen the joints.2. Steady walk<\/p>\n

Time: 17min<\/p>\n

Walk at a comfortable, but purposeful pace that is enough to raise your heart rate slightly.<\/p>\n

3. Slow walk<\/p>\n

Time: 3min<\/p>\n

Walk at a relaxed pace to start easing your heart rate down.<\/p>\n

4. Cool-down<\/p>\n

Time: 5min<\/p>\n

This cool-down has five static stretches to help release tension in your muscles to speed up your post-walk recovery. Hold each stretch for a minute (or 30 seconds each side), then move on to the next one.<\/p>\n

Standing chest stretch: Clasp your hands behind you or place them on your lower back and gently lift your chest.Upper-back stretch: Interlace your hands in front of you and round your upper back while pushing your hands forward.Wide-stance leg stretch: Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart and gently hinge forward to stretch your inner thighs and hamstrings.Quad stretch: Bend your knee and hold one foot behind you and gently pull it toward your buttocks to stretch the front of your thigh. Switch sides halfway through.Side neck stretch: Tilt your head toward one shoulder, keeping the opposite shoulder relaxed. Switch sides halfway through.Shop walking shoes<\/p>\n

If you need walking shoes, here are three picks from Fit&Well\u2019s guide to the best walking shoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Brooks
\nBest Overall<\/p>\n

\n

\"Columbia
\nBest on a budget<\/p>\n

\n

\"Adidas
\nBest for waterproofing<\/p>\n

3. Adidas Terrex Free Hiker Low<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If I told you that lifting heavy weights for 30 minutes a day would make a meaningful difference…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":305427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-305426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}