Get Moving with Step Workouts
If you have not had the occasion to meet, please allow me to introduce you to the wonderful world of low impact step or walking workouts on YouTube! If you are having trouble incorporating movement or exercise into your daily routine, these workouts might be just what you are looking for.
Here’s why I love these workouts:
You don’t need any equipment and you need very little floor space. This makes them ideal for those times I’m away from home and don’t have access to my gym, but I sprinkle them into my at-home workout schedule, too.
They are low impact, so almost everyone can do them and get something out of them. If the workout gets to be too much, you can always return to the simple march or slow the moves down. If you don’t feel it’s enough, you can always make the movements bigger, faster, or add weights.
Because they are low impact, they are easy to duck in and out of, which is great if your situation means you’ll be frequently interrupted (for example, if you’re a parent of small kids or you are trying to get in a few steps at work). The video below is a 90-minute video, but it took me about 8 hours to complete. I’d do ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there. It’s ok, what’s important is that you are fitting movement into your day.
They’re so easy to follow along with that you don’t need sound for them. You can move along with the instructor in a quiet environment or you can mute the video and turn on your own music, podcast, or audiobook. Or if you are playing the video on a device with picture-in-picture support, you can do your workout while watching another show. The possibilities!
To me, they are fun because the moves are changed regularly, and they are straightforward enough that I can add my own embellishments. Let’s make that march a swagger, put a little spin on that grapevine, and add some hip movement to that step side-to-side. I may start with their guidelines, but suddenly I’m dancing around my room, and when I get tired, I return to the simple march.
One of the well known methods for starting a new habit is eliminating friction. What is your pain point for not adding exercise into your daily routine? Not enough time? You don’t have the right equipment? It’s too hard? Try a walking workout, and let me know what you think!