Link to original article https://www.womanandhome.com/health-wellbeing/does-walking-build-muscle/
It’s a great low-impact workout but does walking build muscle? Here’s what a personal trainer wants you to know
It’s an amazing source of cardio exercise, but does walking build muscle? Traditionally, hitting the gym is seen as the essential muscle-building component in toning up, but actually, plenty of research suggests otherwise.
The main muscles used in walking are the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower leg muscles – including the calves. This means that walking can be a great lower-body workout, but because we use these muscles a lot in daily life, they’re probably some of our strongest already. We need a lot more resistance against them to change their size or definition.
But it’s certainly possible. So whether you’re looking for new walking workouts or want to know what you’re getting into before investing in the best walking shoes, we’ve consulted a personal trainer to offer everything there is to know about walking and building muscle.
Not only is it a great endurance exercise, but walking will also help tone your leg muscles, says level 4 personal trainer Luke Hughes(opens in new tab). “Taking up walking as a daily activity can build muscle strength in some people, but mainly it will help you tone your body and increase your endurance,” he explains.
Research from the University of New Mexico(opens in new tab) shows that muscle fibers are damaged during exercise and after the workout, so the body repairs or replaces these fibers. The muscle fibers fuse together to form new strands, which is how we physically build muscle. So the more intense the exercise, the better for muscle building. This is why strength training is often more effective and beneficial than walking for larger muscle growth.
However, it’s still entirely possible to build muscle and strength through walking – especially on an incline, as you might do in Nordic walking.
Your legs aren’t the only place where walking can help build muscle either, says Hughes, who is also the CEO and co-founder of OriGym(opens in new tab). “Although your legs may be where you feel the most tension, walking can also engage your abs, helping to stabilize your body through a great ab workout.”
If muscle building (enlarging the muscle) rather than toning (engaging in exercises that result in more defined muscle) is your goal, then you’ll need to adjust the intensity and resistance of your walk by trying something like the 12-3-30 workout. As the name suggests, you walk on the treadmill at an incline of 12 and at a pace of 3mph for 30 minutes.
“Walking on an incline is much more likely to help you build muscle as it gives your legs a challenge and activates your quads, hamstring, calves, and glutes. When walking on an incline, the calories burned is significantly greater than the average expectancy for walking on a flat surface as well,” Hughes says. So, if you’re walking for weight loss, this is definitely something to focus on.
It’s undeniable that resistance training, like learning how to start weightlifting, is a more efficient and effective workout for muscle building than walking – plenty of research, including studies by Quincy College(opens in new tab), says so. However, it’s not for everyone, and as the most important workout is the one you enjoy the most, it’s worth exploring how to incorporate some resistance training into your workout routine.
Exploring the benefits of ankle weights or hand weights can be one great way to do this. As long as your posture is right and you’re not dealing with any injuries, they can offer additional pressure on your legs, forcing them to work harder and your muscles to overcome the resistance.
Interval training involves rounds of exercise done at different paces and, similarly to strength training, it can be hugely beneficial for muscle building. For example, start your walking workout at an incline of 2 and a speed of 3mph on a treadmill, increasing the speed or incline every 5 minutes, until you feel like you’re pushing yourself. If you do this six times, you’ll be working out for just 30 minutes.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is also one of the best kinds of exercise if you’ve only got limited time on your hands. While walking is technically considered low-intensity steady-state cardio (LISS cardio, for short), amping up the pace or resistance can force your muscles to work a lot harder in a shower pace of time, making your workout hugely efficient.
Essentially, you need to make sure that your walking workout is going to work for you. This means testing out the trails and paths in the local area and being aware of the conditions they offer. One app we’d really recommend for this is AllTrails(opens in new tab) – there are over 300,000 routes to choose from worldwide and each one has a breakdown of the elevation gain within map view, so you can explore new places with ease.
“I’d strongly recommend doing prior research into the gradients and terrain of the area you intend to walk,” says Hughes. “While you may believe walking to be an easy task, do not underestimate the challenge presented before you and jump into a high gradient.”
Although walking is a great way to incorporate the activity into your lifestyle, it doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing approach, says the trainer. “Walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week is a low-impact way to work out. Walking to get fit doesn’t mean you have to cover a mile a day, nor does it mean you need to complete high-intensity power walks through the park.”
Link to original article https://www.womanandhome.com/health-wellbeing/does-walking-build-muscle/