Using walking as a method of getting fit isn’t a new strategy, but its popularity has been steadily growing in recent years. In a world of overpriced gym memberships, complicated exercise routines, and bulky equipment, walking is a breath of fresh air.
All you need are a pair of shoes and a mobile device to get fit. Walkfit is one of the best walking apps on the market for this purpose. It’s rich in features and easy to use.
Whatever your fitness goals are, Walkfit can help you achieve them. Here’s how it works.
Your Pocket-Sized Walking Coach
Walkfit essentially functions like a personal online walking coach. After signing up, you’ll go through a helpful questionnaire for the walking app to learn more about your personal health history, your current fitness, and what you’d like to achieve from walking.
You have the ability to focus on weight loss, reducing stress, improving heart health, or getting “fit and toned.” This will allow the app to create a tailored workout program to your needs that delivers the results you want.
Once you’ve received your personalized walking plan, you’ll also have access to a library of workouts you can do anytime. All of the workouts have a guided warmup with video instructions before the walking begins. This can help prevent injuries and ensure your body is ready for the workout.
Workout progress will show on the bottom of the screen and there will be an auditory guide for the rest of the workout.
The app will tell you when to slow down or speed up, when to take breaks, and of course, when your workout is finished. In this way, it feels like you have a personal walking coach right by your side, encouraging you every step of the way.
The workouts aren’t just for outdoor walks, however. You can easily complete them indoors on a treadmill or walking pad, and some of them are even designed to be used indoors with no equipment at all! This means anyone can do them regardless of their environment or access to gym equipment.
On top of the program and guide features, the app also has a built-in GPS to help navigate your outdoor routes, a step counter, a workout history tracker, a measure of calories burned and distances walked, as well as personalized daily goals.
There are plenty of short workouts on the app that make it easy to meet your step-counting goals, regardless of how much free time you have. Another great tip is to combine your walking workouts with other activities, such as catching up with a friend, so you can hit your goals without sacrificing the things you love.
Beyond the Steps: A Holistic Approach to Walking
If you’re still unsure if walking is the right exercise program for you, there are a few facts you should consider. If your goal is weight loss, walking is one of the best ways to burn fat specifically.
This is because lower-intensity aerobic activities (such as walking) help the body stay in what’s known as “the fat-burning zone” The body will mostly use fat stores for fuel to give you energy on your walks, whereas higher-intensity cardio involves the anaerobic system and relies more heavily on energy from carbohydrates in the form of glucose.
Walking is also an excellent stress-relieving activity since it’s gentle on the body and has a repetitive and almost meditative pattern to it. This can be very soothing for the brain, and you may even find yourself starting to crave walks for this effect.
Last but not least, walking has a very low risk of injury compared to most sports and methods of exercise. It’s safe for people of any age and any stage of their fitness journey.
Walkfit capitalizes on all these benefits of walking by making it easy to get started and stick with a consistent walking routine. It creates a holistic walking habit that not only supports your physical health but also your mental health.
The fact that it only takes a few short minutes to complete a workout makes it far easier to squeeze into your day and form a healthy habit.
Walkfit: Free and Premium Options
Walkfit is one of the most affordable ways to get fit. The app is free and it will allow you to first complete the questionnaire before you’ll need to submit your email to create an account and receive your plan. You’ll then have to sign up for a membership to use the features on the app.
Membership prices vary from as low as $5.00 to $60.00, with subscriptions as short as a week or as long as a year. Memberships will renew automatically unless they’re canceled, but they can be canceled or changed anytime with very little hassle.
Overall, the expense is very low in comparison to other fitness options and well worth the value you get according to a majority of the reviews.
Walk with Confidence
It’s very rare to get in shape by accident. As much as you probably wish it didn’t, getting healthier involves time, patience, and effort. There’s no magic shortcut to getting the results you want, and the most important thing is simply consistency.
On top of consistency, you’ll need a plan that’s actually in line with your goals and getting you closer to where you want to be.
Walkfit helps with both of these two essential elements of fitness. It’s habit-forming so you can stay on track, and the track you’ll be on is set forth by fitness professionals who helped develop the app, so you can walk with confidence.
Conclusion
If you’re on the fence about what fitness program is right for you, there’s no activity better to start with than walking. You can always complement your walking schedule with other activities if you choose since it’s gentle and is unlikely to make you sore and unprepared for other types of physical activity.
The best time to get started is today. Your future self will be glad you took a leap of faith and began what might turn out to be an incredible journey to a new you.
