Week 5

Week 5 of your Personal Walking Plan

You’re deep in the second half of your six-week walking plan. 

This week is about building on all the gains you’ve made. You’ll continue with the 3 long, 2 short walk format from last week, but we’ll increase the duration of these walks to ensure you keep progressing.

Here’s what you’ll be doing in Week 5:

Measuring your intensity 

Just like last week, you should be aiming to hit a 6 out of 10 intensity on your shorter walks for some of the time. Combine harder sections (hills, stairs) with flat stretches to mix up your intensity. Don’t be afraid to get a bit puffed! 
 

As you can see, you’ll be mixing up your intensity levels again this week. You’ll stay at a 5 out of 10 for your longer walks (this might be a slight intensity increase on last week).

For your shorter sessions, you’ll continue with your interval training, pushing yourself towards a 6 for at least some of your walking time, and reducing to a 4 for a more manageable pace. Combine harder sections (hills, stairs) with flat stretches to mix up your intensity. Don’t be afraid to get a bit puffed! 

Stretching exercises

Continue with the same stretching routine from last week. Your body will thank you for it!   

Need a refresher? Here’s our how-to video again:

Strength exercises 

Ready to take your strength training to the next level? If you’ve been finding your strength sessions relatively comfortable, consider doing an extra set to see how you do. 

Not quite ready to take the leap? That’s okay – stick with the strength routine from last week until you’ve got it down pat. 

Watch our how-to video:

Advanced challenge: How to make the strength exercises harder

If you’re finding these strength exercises too easy, here’s how you can make them more challenging:

1. Sit-to-stand Squat
   Try this same movement without the chair. You may need to adjust the depth of your squat to be able to stand back up without extra support.
   
   
2. Calf raise
   Instead of using both feet, try one at a time (this is called a single leg calf raise). You will find this is much more challenging!
   
   
3. Step-up
   Look for a slightly higher step do the same exercise.
   
   
4. Wall push-up
   Instead of a wall, try pushing up from a kitchen bench or table. This will shift more of your bodyweight to your upper body. Alternatively, you could try conventional push-ups from your knees.
   
   
5. Single-leg balance
   Complete the same exercise as before but try not to hold onto a balance support.
   
   
6. Bridge
   Set up for your bridge the same as before. Imprint your back into the floor before rolling up to the bridge position. Hold your bridge at the top of the movement for a count of five seconds (but don’t hold your breath!) , then slowly roll back down to the start position.