Walking provides several health benefits, but we’re specifically only going to talk about the benefits it provides in toning your glutes – the muscles of your hips and butt. If you walk every day for about an hour, you will see some remarkable changes in your body as well as your overall health. If you don’t have an hour a day to spare, don’t worry! We’ve got different styles of walking which offer more resistance and ultimately a speedier way to your dream tush!
The Power Walk
The power walk is a great way to shape your butt and hip area. This type of walk involves maintaining a swift pace without changing your speed. After a few minutes, you’ll feel your heart rate increase and the calorie-burning starts kicking in. But before you begin, make should you do some stretches, especially on your calves. Next, figure out what speed you can easily maintain during a power walk.
The trick to figuring out your ideal speed is that the walk should feel like you are about to jog or sprint, but it really is only a fast-paced walk. Once you figure out your speed limit, walk at this rate daily for about an hour if you can.
Walk and Jog Combo
This is a great form of walking, especially for beginners who need to build up stamina. It allows room for recovery as it has several intervals. This form of walking is basically a combination of walking and jogging. You start by warming up by walking for about 15 minutes, after which you slowly start to increase your pace and jog. You can continue jogging for about 5 minutes or 10 minutes according to your preference and give yourself time to relax by slow-walking for 5 minutes. You can repeat this at least 5 times to get into a routine.
Hill or Stair Walking
Walking up a steep incline can be exhausting, right? Well, that’s the point of a great workout! Also, it is a great way to shape your glutes. If you want this form of walking to be highly effective, try to walk towards the top of a hill (if you can find one in Chicago) without taking any breaks to rest. If you don’t have a hilly area or a slope nearby, you can try to climb a long set of stairs without resting. You can recover by slowly walking back downstairs and then repeat.
Good spots include Swallow Cliff, Solider Field Sled Hill, Cricket Hill, and Palmisano Park.
Power Lunges
Lunges are very effective for your legs, hips, and abs. Regular lunges require you to stay in one place and perform 30 reps. However, you can perform lunges while walking as well. So instead of standing in the same place, start moving forward as you lung. This is a very effective (and fun) way to walk. Remember to alternate between legs so you work out both equally.
Pro Tip! Find some stairs and optimize your walking workout with stair lunges to further strengthen that booty!
Conclusion
Simple and slow-paced walks also have their benefits, but it takes a while for them to show. The above walking techniques are much better for your glutes if you are looking for quick results. If you follow this routine every day, you will have a toned tush in no time!