A Walking-for-Fitness Weight Loss Program

Brett Hoebel, the most sought-after weight loss, nutrition and lifestyle coach in New York, and the creator of a revolutionary new abdominal training system called Rev Abs, has taken it upon himself to help promote Fitness First, Sears new line of fitness footwear.

Fitness First is comprised of an impressive array of stylish fitness shoes designed to help everyday people take a positive step toward leading healthier, happier and more active lifestyles by providing them with comfortable and affordable fitness footwear.

Fitness First, this innovative new line of fitness footwear, is unique in the sense that it contains a series of toning shoes specifically designed for the sport of walking and another series of supportive shoes specifically designed for the sport of running. Fitness First’s new line of toning walking shoes are specifically engineered to help support your  lower back, and tone your calf, quads, hamstrings and glute muscles. Fitness First’s new line of running shoes, on the other hand, are specifically engineered to absorb and reduce the amount of impact running places on your shins, knees and hips.

Why Focus on Walking?

Walking is a low-impact, therapeutic, social and highly effective form of aerobic exercise we can all incorporate into our daily lives, regardless of our age, gender, health, weight or socio-economic status. However, today, most health and fitness professionals, such as Brett Hoebel, understand that one of the main reasons our society is plagued with so many health problems is because we lead extremely sedentary lifestyles. In fact the situation is so bad that a 2005, nationwide study, concluded that a staggering 40% of adults in the United States spend the majority of their day sitting. Studies such as this highlight the reason why inactivity is the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

But despite the demands of our hectic lives, and all of the other factors that contribute to our inactivity, there is something that we can do to safeguard our health and make the most of the time we have to spend with our family and friends. We can choose to make small healthy changes in our lives such as adding a 30-60 minute walking routine to our daily to-do list.

How Effective is Walking-for-Health?

Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, the father of western medicine and the driving force behind the Hippocratic Oath once said, “Walking is man’s best medicine”.

Though Hippocrates’ deduction, at the time, was based on nothing more than his own observations, and deep philosophical belief in “the healing power of nature”, today’s modern medicine has reaffirmed his conclusion.

Today, we have a wealth of research that proves walking is one of the most effective ways of managing and preventing a wide array of health problems including obesity, hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis.

This Walking-for-Fitness Weight Loss program is designed to help you combat obesity, the deadliest, most wide-spread health epidemic plaguing our nation today. The success of this program lies in your willingness to incorporate walking, one of the easiest and most effective form of  aerobic workout known to man, into your daily routines. By embracing and committing to this 6-week routine you will gain all of the tools necessary to lead a healthier, happier more active lifestyle, simply thorough walking.

Note: Be sure to download the PDF version of our fitness chart to help you calculate your target heart rate and track your weekly weight loss.

Step 1: Your Daily 5-Minute Stretch Routine

Proper stretching is one of the most important aspects of any successful training program. The following video is an example of a highly effective stretching routine you can do at  the start and end of your daily workout.

Stretching exercises are designed to:

• Warm up your muscles
• Improve your posture by increasing muscle balance around joints
• Increase your flexibility by increasing your muscles’ range of motion
• Reduce your chances of injury during any form of exercise
• Reduce muscle soreness after training by increasing the amount of blood flow and nutrient supply to the muscles

Note: Before embarking on the first portion of this Walking-for-Weight Loss program, which is comprised of two intense walking routines, please take a moment to listen to fitness expert Brett Hoebel explain the importance of choosing the right pair of stylish and affordable toning shoes to help enhance your Walking-for-Weight Loss experience.

Benefits of Toning shoes from Sears Footwear on Vimeo.

Week #1 Walking-for-Health

The Walking-for-Health program, the initial component of this weight loss routine, is designed to increase your flexibility and help improve your overall health and well being.

Though both men and women, of all age groups and fitness levels, can benefit from this type of workout, this form of low-impact aerobic exercise is especially beneficial to the obese and to individuals over the age of 60. That is because a number of medical studies have shown a positive link between walking for at least 30-60 minutes a day and a reduced risk of Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Type II Diabetes and Gall-bladder Disease in the obese and a reduced risk of hip fractures in individuals over the age of 60.

Because this Walking-for-Health routine is a low-impact, aerobic workout it is generally recommended that you walk for at least 45 minutes a day in order to enjoy its full health benefits.

Day 1, 2, 3,

• Walk at a slow, leisurely pace for 10 minutes.

• Stop and do the above mentioned 5-minute stretch routine.

• Begin walking at a brisk pace, that brings your heart rate to 45-50% of your maximum heart rate. Do this for 20 minutes. At this point during the workout you should be breathing harder than usual but still be able to carry on a conversation.

• Walk at a slow, leisurely pace for 5 minutes, and really focus on slowing down your breathing and heart rate.

• Finish by repeating the above mentioned 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Day 4: Recovery

• Do 15 minutes of stretching exercises to keep your muscles flexible and ease any soreness you may be experiencing.

• I recommend that you do the 5-minute stretch routine in the morning, mid-afternoon and right before going to bed.

Day 5, 6, 7,

• Walk at a slow, leisurely pace for 10 minutes.

• Stop and do the above mentioned 5-minute stretch routine.

• Begin walking at a brisk pace, that brings your heart rate to 55-60% of your maximum heart rate. Your aim is to elevate your heart rate  slightly more than before in preparation for the second component of this walking weight loss program. Walk for 25 minutes at this pace. At this point during the workout you should be breathing harder than usual but still be able to carry on a conversation.

• Finish by repeating the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Week #2 Walking-for-Fat Loss

Now that you have increased your overall flexibility, and improved your aerobic fitness, it is time to start Walking-for-Fat Loss.

This portion of the program is designed to force your body to use stored fat for energy by elevating your heart rate and increasing your body’s oxygen intake. This portion of the Walking-for-Fitness weight loss program is especially beneficial to those of you who lead sedentary lives and have been experiencing slow, but steady, weight gain due to the fact that your sedentary habits have resulted in a drop in your body’s metabolic rate.

Because this Walking-for-Fat Loss routine is an aerobic workout, designed to help your body burn off stored blood sugar levels and clycogen, and start burning fat, it is generally recommended that you walk for at least 1 hour a day, in the morning, on an empty stomach, in order to enjoy its full health benefits.

Day 1, 2, 3,

• Walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes. This forces your body to burn off stored blood sugar first and then tap into its fat reserves for energy.

• Stop and do the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Begin walking at a brisk pace, that brings your heart rate to 65-70% of your maximum heart rate. At this point during the workout you should be breathing harder than usual and your body should be working to cool itself through perspiration. Walk at this pace for 30 minutes.

• Slow down and walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes. Be sure to breath deeply and steadily so that you can begin to lower your heart rate once again.

• Finish by repeating the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 1 hour

Day 4: Recovery

• Walk-for-Health for no more than 30 minutes. (Elevate your maximum heart rate to no more than 45%).

• Do 15 minutes of the above mentioned stretching routine to keep your muscles flexible and ease any soreness you may be experiencing.

• I recommend that you do the 5-minute stretch routine in the morning, mid-afternoon and right before going to bed.

Day 5, 6, 7,

• Walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes.

• Stop and do the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Begin walking at a brisk pace, that brings your heart rate to 70-75% of your maximum heart rate. At this point during the workout you should be breathing harder than usual and your body should be working to cool itself through perspiration. Walk at this pace for 30 minutes. Note: Did you know that at 60-80% of your maximum heart rate, 85% of the total number of calories you burn are from stored fat?

• Slow down and walk at a moderate pace for another 10 minutes. Be sure to breath deeply and steadily so that you can begin to lower your heart rate, once again.

• Finish by repeating the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 1 hour

Warning!! Those of you who are looking to lose a large amount of weight may be tempted to continue this routine for longer than 7 days. However, I must warn you that this routine is only a small component of this fitness plan, and is only designed to boost your metabolism. It is not designed as a long term weight loss plan, on its own. If you continue the Walking-for-Fat Loss routine for longer than 7 days your diet will plateau and you will stop seeing results.

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Note: Before embarking on the second portion of this Walking-for-Weight Loss program, which is comprised of four intense walking/jogging (HIIT) workout routines, please take a moment to listen to fitness expert Brett Hoebel explain the importance of choosing the right pair of stylish and affordable running shoes to help enhance your Walking-for-Weight Loss experience.

The best running shoes from Sears Footwear on Vimeo.

Week #3 Walking-for-Fitness (Beginners)

The Walking-for-Fitness component of this weight loss routine is designed to boost your overall aerobic fitness, increase your lung capacity and improve your circulatory system by increasing the number and size of blood vessels in your muscles.

The goal of this portion of the weight loss program is to introduce your body to an extremely effective training method known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). (HIIT) workouts are highly effective at improving your overall aerobic fitness, increasing your overall lean muscle mass and helping break stubborn diet plateaus.

Essentially, (HIIT) workouts play a game of yo-yo with your target heart rate levels. By constantly forcing you to raise and lower your target heart rate (HIIT) workouts force your body to exhaust its stored glucose levels and turn to its fat reserves for energy. Unlike conventional training methods that allow your body to slip into a “steady state” and conserve energy, (HIIT) workouts constantly “shock” your system into burning more calories, and raising your body’s metabolic rate, in order to “survive” the stress being placed on it. During the course of a regular (HIIT) workout 50% of the calories burned are from fat and 50% are from carbohydrates.

This routine is designed to last between 40-45 minutes.

Day 1, 2, 3

• Do the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. In order to engage your upper body, maximize your calorie burn, and bring your heart rate up, incorporate a brisk arm movement into this routine. This is to warm up your muscles, elevate your heart rate and increase your oxygen intake. By the end of this walk your heart rate should be at 50% of your maximum heart rate.

• Begin jogging, at a slow pace for 1 minute. This form of leisurely jogging closely resembles power walking. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate to at least 70% of your maximum heart rate. If after 1 minute your heart rate is not high enough try jogging slightly faster. Do not exceed 2 minutes of jogging.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and slowing your heart rate down to 50% of your maximum heart rate, once again.

• Start jogging again, at the same slow pace for 90 seconds. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate once again. Aim for reaching 75% of your maximum heart rate. If after 90 seconds your heart rate is still not high enough try jogging slightly faster. Do not exceed 3 minutes of jogging.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and bringing your heart rate down, slowly.

• End with your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 42-45 minutes

Day 4 Recovery

• Do your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Do the Walking-for-Fat Loss routine, for a period of no longer than 30 minutes. Be careful not to elevate your heart rate to more than 65% of your maximum target heart rate.

Day 5, 6, 7,

• Do the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Don’t forget to incorporate your upper body into this routine. This is to warm up your muscles, elevate your heart rate and increase your oxygen intake. By the end of this10 minute walk your heart rate should be at 55% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start jogging, at a slow pace for 90 seconds. Remember, this form of slow jogging closely resembles power walking. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate to at least 75% of your maximum heart rate. If after 90 seconds of jogging your heart rate is still not at 75% try jogging a little faster. Do not exceed 2 minutes of jogging.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and slowing your heart rate down to 55% of your maximum heart rate, once again.

• Start jogging, at a slow pace for 2 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate once again. Aim for reaching 75% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and bringing your heart rate down, slowly.

• End with your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Week #4 Walking-for-Fitness (Intermediate)

The aim of this week’s workout is to burn fat, build lean muscle mass and improve your overall athletic endurance by improving your aerobic fitness and increasing your lung capacity. By bringing your target heart rate to its maximum aerobic threshold of 80% this routine is designed to strengthen your heart and lower your resting heart rate.

Day 1, 2, 3,

• Do your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Walk as fast as you can for 5 minutes. This is to help bring your heart rate up fast.

• Start walking at a slightly slower, but brisk pace, for 10 minutes. This is to resemble a power walker’s walk. Be sure to incorporate your upper body into the workout. Note: I highly recommend that you bring with you a 3lb set of dumbbells. Your goal  is to warm up your muscles, elevate your heart rate and increase your oxygen intake. By the end of this 10 minute walk your heart rate should be at 70% of your maximum heart rate.

• Jog, at a moderate pace for 2 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate to at least 75% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and slowing your heart rate down to 65% of your maximum heart.

• Jog, at a moderate pace for 2  1/2 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate once again. Aim for reaching 80% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a moderate pace for 5 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and bringing your heart rate down, slowly.

• End with your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Day 4 Recovery

• Do your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Do the Walking-for-Fat Loss routine, for a period of no longer than 30 minutes. Be careful not to elevate your heart rate to more than 60% of your maximum target heart rate.

Day 5, 6, 7,

• Do the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. By the end of this 10 minute walk your heart rate should be at 70% of your maximum heart rate.

• Jog, at a moderate pace for 3 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate to at least 75% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing and slowing your heart rate down to 70% of your maximum heart rate once again.

• Jog, at a slightly faster pace for 3 1/2 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate once again. Aim for reaching 80% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a moderate pace for 8 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply and bringing your heart rate down, slowly.

• End with the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Week #5 Walking-for-Fitness (Advanced)

The main goal of this week’s workout is to maximize your energy output, and build lean muscle mass, speed, agility and endurance by bringing your target heart rate to its maximum threshold of  95%.

Day 1, 2, 3,

• Do the above mentioned 5-minute stretch routine.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 10 minutes. By the end of this 10 minute walk your heart rate should be at 75% of your maximum heart rate.

• Jog, at a fast pace for 3 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate to at least 85% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a brisk pace, for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing and slowing your heart rate down to 75% of your maximum heart rate, once again.

• Run as fast as you can for 4 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate, fast. Aim for reaching 95% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 5 minutes. Focus on breathing and bringing your heart rate down, slowly.

• End with the above mentioned 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 40-45 minutes

Day 4 Recovery

• Do your 5-minute stretch routine.

• Do the Walking-for-fat loss routine for a period of no longer than 30 minutes. Be careful not to elevate your heart rate to more than 701% of your maximum target heart rate.

Day 5, 6, 7,

• Do the above mentioned 5-minute stretch routine.

• Start walking at a fast pace for 10 minutes. By the end of this 10 minute walk your heart rate should be at 80% of your maximum heart rate.

• Jog, at a fast pace for 3 1/2 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate to at least 85% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a fast pace for 10 minutes. Focus on breathing and slowing your heart rate down to 80% of your maximum heart rate, once again.

• Run as fast as you can for 4 minutes. Your goal is to elevate your heart rate, fast. Aim for reaching 95+% of your maximum heart rate.

• Start walking at a brisk pace for 8 minutes. Focus on breathing and bringing your heart rate down, slowly.

• End with the 5-minute stretch routine.

• Total Workout Time: 40-45 minutes

Week #6 Walking-for-Life

Maintaining a certain level of physical fitness is just as difficult as attaining that level of physical fitness. This is a sample, weekly walking workout routine designed to help you maintain the level of fitness you have worked so hard to attain. The integration of the different routines is designed to prevent boredom and stop your body from adjusting to any one routine’s intensity level or duration.

Day 1, 5

• Start with your 5-minute stretch routine.
• Do the Walking-for-Fat Loss or Walking-for-Fitness (Beginners) routine.
• Finish with your 5-minute stretch routine.

Day 2, 6

• Start with your 5-minute stretch routine.
• Do the Walk-for Fitness( Intermediate) routine.
• Finish with your 5-minute stretch routine.

Day 3, 7

• Start with your 5-minute stretch routine.
• Do the Walk-for Fitness (Advanced) routine.
• Finish with your 5-minute stretch routine.

Day 4 Recovery

• Start with your 5-minute stretch routine.
• Do the Walking-for-Health routine.
• Finish with your 5-minute stretch routine.

Be sure to follow Brett Hoebel on Twitter and stay on top of the latest trends, product reviews, fitness tips and Sears giveaways.

Calculate Your Target Heart Rate & Weekly Weight Loss With This Easy-To-Follow Fitness Chart

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