So you've got your fitness tracker and you are walking regularly. Good for you! Well done, you are already lapping everyone sitting on the couch. Brisk, regular walking is one of the very best things you can do for yourself. It helps keep you trim, ward off chronic illness, improve mood, reduce stress and symptoms of depression, boost the immune system and can be an excellent form of meditation.
If you want to reap even more benefits, like improving your fitness, you have to switch it up. The brain is challenged and improved by new and different activities. You either need to walk a new route, walk longer, walk faster, or incorporate some different activity into your walk. Here are some exercises you can build into your regular walk in the park and that require no special equipment. Forget that gym membership and become one with nature!
Warm up: Do some jumping jacks, a minute of high knees, skipping, etc.
Brisk walk: Get things going. Periodically break into a 30-second sprint.
Lamp post /landmark: sprint to the lamp post and back. Skip sideways to the lamp post and back. Do walking lunges to the lamp post. Do butt kicks all the way to the lamp post. Or every time you pass a lamp post do 10 squats.
Park bench: an excellent opportunity for some alternating leg step ups. Try some press-ups (on the seat and/or on the back...it will work different sections of your pecs). Do tricep dips using the seat. Standing sideways, do a step up and then kick your outer leg for hip abduction.
Hill: It's a killer but try a hill sprint. Make it your goal to get better at hill sprints. It will improve your anaerobic capacity like nothing else! Also try walking backwards up a hill. There is less impact on the knees and it challenges the brain in the most delightful way.
Tree trunks: make for excellent wall sits. Maintain a 90 degree angle with your legs and "sit" for 60 seconds. Make friends with several trees in your park where you can practice this.
Low-hanging branch: If you can find a branch at about head height grab hold and hang, then pull your knees up to your chest 10 times.
On the ground: If you don't mind getting your hands dirty you could try crab crawling or bear crawling across the grass. Or if you are really feeling on top of your game you could try 10 burpees!
Wishing you a wonderful walk! Let me know how you get on.