1 Walk A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Two years ago, I wrote a story about 15000 Steps a Day Keeping the Doctor Away. While the story and information are timeless, I’ve modified, simplified, and updated it to be more efficient.

The reason?

I want to make getting fit and healthy simple and thus accessible for everyone — because it is — if you know how!

This article isn’t only about keeping the doctor away; it’s about you obtaining and maintaining your optimal weight and fitness.

I meet many people, and most are struggling with being overweight and are in poor health — none of them know how to fix it.

Let’s see how you can fix it.

The Simplest and Most Effective Steps to Building Optimal Weight and Health.

Walking

Bodyweight Training

Sprinting

Food

Sound complicated? It isn’t, and here’s how you do it.

Walking.

If you’re not doing any exercise at present, start by walking 1 hour a day, at whatever time suits you. Make it a relatively fast walk to raise your heart rate, but make sure you stay in your aerobic zone.

You can measure that in 2 ways:

Take your maximum heart rate of 185 BPM minus your age = Your maximum aerobic heart rate. Stay below that number if using a smartwatch.

If you can still talk and walk comfortably, you’re in your aerobic zone. If you’re having difficulty talking while walking, you kicked yourself into your anaerobic zone. In that case, slow down.

Walking is the best aerobic fat-burning exercise — and it’s so easy to do, just get up and walk. There’s no need even to change your clothes.

By walking an hour a day, you’re burning calories and fat; you’re also training your leg muscles while strengthening your bones and joints, building a stronger heart and a happier, more focused mind.

That’s what walking does in a nutshell, which is pretty awesome if you ask me.

Walking & Bodyweight Training.

You don’t like weight-lifting in gyms or workout classes? No problem.

Do this instead.

Add 3 or 4 simple bodyweight exercises to your walk.

Every 10 minutes, stop and drop to the ground on all 4 for this super easy routine:

Push-Ups

Do as many as you can, be that 5–10–20–30, whatever. Each session, you’ll get stronger and will be able to pump out more reps next time.

Plank

Plank for as long as you can, 15–30–45 or 60 seconds, and go longer each time you do this workout.

Squats

Squats are easy because your leg muscles are the biggest in your body as they have to carry your butt around all day.

Squat down all the way and back up, repeat until you can’t anymore. Aim for at least 30 and go for 50!

Those 3 exercises already comprise a great routine. Add the sideways plank as the fourth if you want to do more.

Sideways Plank

Get into the sideways position leaning on your elbow, body straight, and raise your hand pointing to the sky. Hold this position as long as you can, then switch to the other side, repeat.

If you’re going for an hour’s walk, you can easily perform 2 to 4 sets of this routine. Start slow, and build to go longer and stronger each time you go for your walk.

Walking & Sprinting.

Alright, this one is a bit of a challenge for most. Sprinting, however, is the best way to burn fat and build lean muscle simultaneously.

You’ve seen how powerful and muscular professional sprinters are, right? And they are leaner than lean, with not an ounce of fat on them.

That’s not because they’re going to the gym — it’s because they sprint train every day. Sprinting activates the fast-twitch muscle — this process breaks down your muscles fast and then rebuilds them bigger and stronger.

Fast-twitch muscle activation also stimulates all-day fat burn! A Double Whammy!

Add a few short sprints to your walk 1 to 2 times per week if you want to try.

Get focused, then dash fast for 10 to 15 seconds and walk again. Your heart rate should rise to between 160 to 185 BPM. Once your heart rate comes back down to 120 BPM, repeat the sprint 4 to 6 times. If you’re feeling burnt out, stop — too much of a good thing can be too strenuous on your heart.

Keep the sprints short and sweet.

Last but not least — The King — is Food.

Food.

The most vital thing to do is eat healthy, clean food, and with that, I mean:

Meat — Seafood — Fish — Veggies — Eggs — Salads — Avocados — Healthy Oils

Here's a guide to what you should be eating.

Avoid:

Sugar — Candy — Cakes — Wheat — Grains — Pasta — Rice — Noodles — Bread — Pizza and harmful Oils = Canola, Sunflower, and Palm Oils

Let’s Summarize.

Walking is your solution to weight loss, weight management, and a more focused mindset. Walking is the most underrated yet best aerobic exercise available for everyone, free of charge.

If you add a few simple bodyweight exercises to your walk, you’ll start to build more muscles, which in turn burns fat and makes you overall fitter and healthier.

Throw in 1 or 2 sprinting sessions to your walks per week, and you’ll catapult your fat burn and muscle growth to another level.

Walking and consuming natural foods are already a massive step in the right direction to optimal weight and overall health.

If you add the simple extra exercise methods above, you’ll see how fast your body will change and how confident and happy you’ll soon be.

Thanks for reading,

Rob