Intermediate Walking Workouts

It’s time to step it up! Whether you’ve already completed the Beginner’s Walking Program or are an experienced exerciser who wants to build more walking stamina, this intermediate walking program will help you build even more endurance over the next 12 weeks. With longer workouts and more workout sessions per week than a beginner’s walking program, you can follow these workouts, whether you walk on a treadmill, track or other outdoor venue.

Getting Started

Use the FIT (Frequency, Intensity and Time) Principles for a safe and effective workout!

• Frequency: Try the walking workout listed at least three to five times per week as indicated by the chart below.
• Intensity: Walk at a brisk—not leisurely—pace. Don’t worry about what your pace really is, but do pay attention to your overall intensity, aiming for five to seven on a scale of one to 10. You’ll find a full explanation of the one to 10 Intensity Scale (known as RPE) below the workouts.
• Time: Try to follow the suggested workout guidelines to the best of your ability, which means that you'll gradually increase your walking time by five minutes most weeks.

And remember, always warm up and cool down. Warming up at a slow pace will help prepare your joints, muscles and heart for exercise. Cooling down will prepare your body to return to a resting state, help prevent muscle soreness, and prevent illness and injury.

Intermediate Walking Workout

An Explanation of Using the RPE Method to Measure Intensity

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) may be the most versatile method to measure exercise intensity for all age groups. Using this method is simple, because all you have to do is estimate how hard you feel like you’re exerting yourself during exercise. RPE is a good measure of intensity because it is individualized—it’s based on your current fitness level and overall perception of exercise. The scale ranges from 1 to 10, allowing you to rate how you feel physically and mentally at a given intensity level.
An RPE between five and seven is recommended for most adults. This means that at the height of your workout, you should feel you are working "somewhat hard" to "hard." The guidelines given for this specific workout program reflect an intermediate intensity level.