There’s a lot to be said for walking workouts — they’re free, you don’t need any fancy equipment, and they’re suitable for all fitness levels. Here on the Tom’s Guide fitness desk, we love nothing more than lacing up our sneakers and giving a new walking workout a try. Recently we’ve tried this Japanese walking method, the 5-4-5 walking technique, “fart walking”, and rucking. Next on our list? This 3x3 walking workout.
All you’ll need to give this one a go is some comfortable shoes, 35 minutes, and something to time your intervals on. One of the best fitness trackers might help, as you’ll be able to build a workout without having to keep your smartphone in your hand, but it’s not essential.
Remember, if you’re a complete beginner or you’re returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to chat to your doctor beforehand.
What is the 3 x 3 walking workout?
If you’re bored of your normal walking routine, this workout is a great way to mix things up. You’ll repeat a number of faster walking intervals, raising your heart rate and boosting your cardiovascular fitness. Here’s how to do it:
- Warm-up: It’s important to get warmed up before pushing yourself, so start by doing a five minute warm-up walk. This should be a brisk, but comfortable pace. You should easily be able to hold a conversation with someone walking next to you, and could continue this pace for the entire workout.
- 3 minutes fast paced walk: Once you’ve warmed up, start your first interval and increase your speed. This should be a fast-paced walk. Swing your arms as you move your legs and move quickly. This effort should be around seven out of 10, and you should be breathing harder.
- 3 minutes recovery: This is back to your warm-up pace, or even a little slower. The focus here is to take deep breaths, and allow your heart rate to return to normal before your next interval.
- Repeat five times. If you’d like, you can increase the length of your final recovery for a longer cool down, or add some light stretching once you’ve finished.
What are the benefits?
As with most of the walking workouts we’ve covered, alternating between fast and slow paces is a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Whether you’re walking to lose weight or get fitter, this HIIT style walking workout increases the heart rate and blood flow, which strengthens the heart and lungs. It’s also likely to burn more calories than just walking at a steady pace.
Walking, especially outdoors, can help improve your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also a great form of exercise for working on your bone health and muscle strength. Do a walking workout a few times a week, and you’re protecting yourself from injuries down the line.
I tried the 3 x 3 walking workout for a week — and I loved it
To practice what I preach, I added the 3 x 3 walking workout to my morning routine for a week. Here’s my verdict:
It boosted my heart rate
I walk every morning for my mental health, but my daily walks have helped me get fitter, avoid running injuries, and recover from childbirth.
I’ll admit most of the time I grab a coffee and the dog, and don’t pay any attention to my pace. I really enjoyed the faster intervals, and found they really boosted my heart rate and helped me work up a sweat. I often use my walks as a form of active recovery, so this extra intensity, without the impact, was great.
It took a few days to get my pace right
A confession — I once threw my tennis racket at my little brother mid lesson because he was beating me. I’m extremely competitive, annoyingly so, and even with myself.
On my first few intervals, I set out at a rapid walking pace that looked more like the speed walking event at the Olympics. By my third day, I ignored the numbers on my watch, and based the intervals on effort and had a much more enjoyable time.
It was easy to remember
I’ve been doing a lot of these walking challenges, and while I often set them up as a custom workout on my Apple Watch 10, on the morning that I had to leave my watch behind to charge, this one was refreshingly easy to remember. If you’re using a stopwatch, three minutes on, three minutes off is pretty simple.
It also makes this workout pretty easy to adjust as you get fitter. You could easily increase the faster interval to four minutes, followed by a two minute recovery, for example.
If you’re looking for an easy workout to boost your metabolism, heart rate, and mood, grab your sneakers and give this a try. You won’t regret it.
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