Summer Fitness Solution: The Pyramid Walking Technique as Your Prime Choice
Introducing Pyramid Walking: A Low-Impact, High-Intensity Workout
Pyramid walking is a new exercise trend that is taking the fitness world by storm. This low-intensity exercise borrows its name from a classic training structure, offering a unique approach to walking workouts.
What is Pyramid Walking?
Pyramid walking is a walking workout method where you gradually increase the intensity (such as incline or speed) stepwise every few minutes, and then decrease it symmetrically, resembling a pyramid shape in effort and duration. This method can be incorporated into a daily walking routine to add variety and intensity without requiring a full high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session.
How to Pyramid Walk
To get started with pyramid walking, begin with a warm-up walk at a low incline and comfortable pace for 3–5 minutes. Then, increase the incline (or speed) in set intervals, for example, raising the incline by 2% every 2 minutes. Walk at the peak incline/speed for a brief period, and gradually decrease the incline/speed in the same intervals to return to the starting level. Cool down with 3–5 minutes of easy walking on flat ground.
Benefits of Pyramid Walking
Pyramid walking offers several benefits. It can boost cardiovascular fitness, increase calorie burn, and strengthen leg muscles by combining intervals of moderate and higher intensity walking, especially if done on hills or a treadmill with incline settings. Additionally, pyramid walking aligns with high-intensity interval walking benefits demonstrated in research, which show improved aerobic capacity, blood pressure reduction, and better glycemic control when done regularly.
Customizing Pyramid Walking
Pyramid walking can be customized to suit individual preferences. For example, you can try a hillier route or use a weighted vest to increase intensity. You can also adjust the interval length and speed to match your fitness level. Maintaining good posture and arm swing can further increase energy expenditure.
Experience Pyramid Walking
Pyramid walking feels simple but effective, providing a sense of training rather than wandering. It can help to increase step count and get the heart pumping without the impact of running. The pyramid format boosts calorie burn and taps into the afterburn effect (EPOC). The structured pace intervals build up gradually, hit a peak, then taper off, making it a focused, effective, and heart-pumping session.
Conclusion
Pyramid walking is a perfect escape from a desk, offering a focused, effective, and heart-pumping session that can be done without breaking into a run or engaging in a sweat-drenched HIIT session. Whether you're looking to boost your cardiovascular fitness, increase calorie burn, or simply add some variety to your walking routine, pyramid walking is definitely worth trying.
- Regular pyramid walking, with its variety in intensity, can align well with a health-and-wellness routine, providing benefits such as increased cardiovascular fitness, calorie burn, and muscle strengthening, akin to what science suggests about high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
- Incorporating pyramid walking into a science-backed health-and-wellness regimen can also include aspects of fitness-and-exercise, especially posture and arm swing, to enhance its overall impact on energy expenditure and heart-rate increase.
