Upgrade Your Walk

by Adrianne Madias

As we dive deeper into summer, it's exciting to get outside and stay active! The city of Ann Arbor has numerous places to swim, bike, hike, and kayak, but walking can be done anywhere. 10,000 steps are recommended each day, and it’s so much easier when the weather is warm! When you're out on your daily walk, try one or more of these ideas in the blue box on the right to bump up your cardio and strength training along the way.

Now that you've made your outdoor walk more intense and beneficial, you'll need to stay hydrated. There are so many options when it comes to hydration drinks that it's sometimes difficult to figure out which one is right for you, or if you even need one at all. Water should be all we need, but there are times when a boost of electrolytes (including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) is beneficial. These ingredients will help hydrate you faster, but read the labels; some of them are loaded with sugar and other additives like caffeine and artificial sweeteners.

Whether you're working out or just walking, adding weights will help increase resistance and build muscle. Weights provide both cardiovascular and strength training, which help burn fat and tone muscles. You will burn more calories with weights than without. We recommend between 1-5 pounds to start. Use ankle or hand weights on walks to tone your legs and arms quicker. Burn more calories by doing leg lifts or a high knee march. We recommend walking at a minimum of 30 minutes at a brisk pace every day! Find a wall (or tree if you're on a path), place your back against it, then walk your legs out with your knees above your ankles like you're sitting in a chair. Hold this position for one minute by pressing your back against the wall and evenly distribute your weight in both feet. Breathe deep in through the nose and out through the mouth to activate your core. This exercise builds endurance in your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. For a challenge, hover one foot just an inch off the ground for three seconds and alternate. If you're on a walk, stop along the way every 15 minutes and give this a try!

• JUMP ROPE

Many of us have not done this since we were kids, but there are so many benefits to jumping rope. It increases cardiovascular strength, bone density, agility, balance, and is good for total body strength training. It’s difficult to do indoors if you're short on space; grab a jump rope and take it outside! Stand with your elbows into your waist and arms bent at a 90 degree and your feet underneath you. Keep your jumps to just an inch off the ground and keep a soft bend in your knees. Try to stay on the ball of your foot as you jump and keep your shoulders over your hips. Look straight ahead and see how long you can go. Start by adding 1-5 minutes along your walk, every 30 minutes.

Photos by Christina Dennis

We recommend the following hydration drinks for your outdoor workouts this summer: • Nuun Tablets • Liquid I.V. • Hydrant • Boxed Water (it's just water, but it’s produced with reduced carbon emissions, 100% recyclable, and sustainably sourced. Plus, they’ve planted over one million trees in the past five years!)

Ann Arbor native Adrianne Madias is the owner of Barre Code Ann Arbor. After graduating from Arizona State University with a BS in Supply Chain Management, she moved back to the area and worked in the corporate world for nearly a decade. She decided to change her career path because her true passion is fitness; she enjoys contributing to other women’s lives by helping them gain confidence in their health and strength from the inside out. She began training in Chicago the summer of 2011 and opened in August of the same year near central campus. The studio is now located on the north side of town at 2792 Plymouth Road.