You want to be fit and strong, and you know as a woman over 50 how essential aerobic exercise is, but you can’t get outside for your walks.
It’s raining or too cold outside! What are you going to do? How will you stay fit? What if it rains all winter long? Will that mean no exercise at all until spring comes again??
Here is a great indoor walking workout solution for women over 50. This is an easy way to get your steps in without worrying about the weather. I’ll show you how!
Take a peek at my video and see how I walk for exercise in my condominium. It’s not very big but I make it an interesting and sometimes entertaining form of exercise!
Please note that I am not a fitness expert, nor am I a professional trainer. I’m a woman in my 60s who strives to live a healthy lifestyle, and walking plays a large part in my overall fitness and exercise routines.
Talk with your health care professional if you’re uncertain as to how much walking you are able to do, particularly if you have ongoing health concerns.
By the way, if you click on a link and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
What is an Indoor Walking Workout?
An indoor walking workout is one that you do by walking indoors, right inside your home. Walking workouts are a great way to burn some extra calories and get your heart rate up, even if it’s too cold outside for walks.
It’s so easy to do! Think about the different types of taking steps and how they can be incorporated into a walking workout:
- Walking: just walking around the house, up and down the stairs, etc.
- Power-walking: taking faster steps (think “jogging” but with shorter strides, so it’s just a little bit faster than your regular walk).
- Marching in place: it doesn’t take up any space at all (other than you!)
- Stepping side to side: this can be fun when you’re looking for some variety
- Knee-lifts: these can add a little bit of intensity to your marches in place
- Treadmill walking: a great way to mix things up if you own a treadmill
How to Create an Indoor Walking Workout
Now that you know the different ways you can walk, let’s put it all together into an indoor walking workout to do at home!
Consider what your indoor space and layout offer, and remember that a small space or home is not a deterrent! My home is not large. I walk in circles, figure-8’s, up and down the stairs, and from one end of the condo to the other. And, marching in place doesn’t take up much space at all!
If this is a new activity for you, start with a time frame that is reasonable for you, and work up to a longer walking workout. My goal is usually 30 minutes or 3,000 steps.
Here are some ideas for your workout. There is no ‘perfect’ way to set up your walking workout. Do what works for you physically and with your lifestyle, as well as the layout of your home.
- Warm-up with 5 minutes of marching in place (rhythmically swinging your arms to move your legs)
- Stretch your arms, hamstrings, calves, hips, back, and spine while marching in place
- Then, add in some power walking or marching in place at a quicker pace, or stepping side to side
- Now you’re ready for the main dish of your workout! Pick one activity that will be your “main exercise” for the time being. You can always change it up later!
- For me, it’s light jogging around my home, from one end of the condo to the other, doing figure-8’s to add steps into a small space.
- I also will grab some light weights – 2 or 3 pounds – and get a little bit of strength training in as well as keep my heart rate up.
- You can do 5 minutes of power walking or marching in place or stepping side to side or whatever you choose as your main exercise
- Relax with a slow walk around the house for another 5-10 minutes (or until your timer goes off)
- Remember to stretch your leg muscles again after your indoor walking workout
Why Walk Indoors for Exercise?
Why should you want to do an indoor walking workout? There are so many reasons!
It’s simple and easy to add up your steps It can be fun to mix things up It doesn’t require fancy equipment or lots of space.
You don’t have to wait for the weather to improve. You can choose what kind of activity to do, depending on your mood and preferences. It really doesn’t matter what is going on outside your window. No bugs or insects, busy traffic, dog-walkers (I say that with respect to my dog-loving friends), bikers, hikers…you get the idea!
The workout attire doesn’t matter. No one will see you at the gym, or in the neighborhood, or at the park. Wear whatever type of workout clothes you want, girlfriend.
No one is watching you while you exercise. If you want to walk backward, swing your arms high, carry light weights, whistle or sing, or whatever helps motivate you…no one is watching. Well, maybe your spouse or partner, perhaps the cat. But they love you just as you are. 🙂
Walking workouts are low-key enough to fit into a busy schedule. You can get steps in any time you want! It’s a great way to relieve stress and is a good idea for women over 50 who want to maintain mobility, agility, and functional fitness.
Yes, functional fitness! Think about it: when you are stepping in a certain pattern, like side to side, as well as moving your arms (we’ll say criss-crossing them), your muscles are being trained to work together in these composite movements.
Health Benefits of Walking for Women Over 50
Heart disease is the number one cause of death among women over 50. Exercise, including walking indoors or outside, has been shown to cut risk factors, such as raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol and reducing blood pressure and glucose levels.
Walking workouts help lower a woman’s chance of a heart attack by helping to reduce weight, fat in the blood vessels, inflammation in the arteries, and blood clotting.
Walking at a moderate pace for 5 minutes every hour helps improve cardiovascular health, mood, sleep quality, and more. You can walk whenever you want, wherever you want!
To sum up: an indoor walking workout is a great way to add more movement into your day, and get in more steps, and give yourself the care that you deserve.
Tips for Staying Motivated
► Talk with a friend about going on walks together or trading workouts in each other’s homes
► Monitor your daily steps using a pedometer
► Wear a fitness tracker to monitor how many calories you burn through walking and use it to track your progress, which can help keep you motivated! It is a better indicator of progress than jumping on the scale every day. Check progress by noticing how your clothes fit, too.
► Carry a small notebook and write down every day what you eat, as well as how far you walked that day
► Write down your goals – why you want to do an indoor walking workout and what it will mean for you! And stick them where you’ll see them every day.
► Make a schedule and keep to it.
► Keep a positive attitude and stay upbeat about your workout journey! Your attitude will help you stick with it more than anything else.
► Use music, streaming television shows or movies…anything that helps make the time go faster! The more you enjoy yourself, the more likely it is that you’ll create a habit of doing indoor walking workouts.
► And lastly, don’t forget to have fun 🙂
Conclusion
If you’re a woman over 50 and want to be active, but it’s too cold, or hot, or wet, or windy outside, then an indoor walking workout is perfect for you! You can walk without worrying about the weather.
If going on walks with friends isn’t your thing, an indoors walkout workout can be just what you need!
If you’re willing to be a little bit creative and work with what you have as far as space, you might find that these indoor walking workouts are something to look forward to!
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