Walking is a user-friendly, inexpensive form of exercise. The only equipment you need is a sturdy pair of shoes. In return for your regular walking efforts you receive an improved cholestorol count, lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of some chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. But foul weather, injuries or feeling like you've stopped making progress can all drive you in search of alternatives to walking for exercise.
Water Walking, Aerobics and Swimming
Walking is great weight loss exercise because the low impact is easy on your joints, even if you're carrying extra weight. But if you've been instructed to take a break from regular walking or just need a change of pace, try walking in the pool. The water will support much of your weight, reducing impact even further. You can also do water aerobics or try swimming laps -- both use every major muscle group in your body and provide the same sort of cardiovascular benefits walking offers.
Hit the Gym
If bad weather drives you inside, try walking on a treadmill or elliptical trainer in the gym. Ellipticals also let you pedal -- that is, run -- without increasing the impact on your joints. If you don't want to join a gym, you can purchase a home exercise machine to use instead of walking. You can use this exercise time as warmup before doing a strength training workout -- another great walking alternative to help you keep fit -- with gym machines or hand weights at home.
Cycling and Hand Cycling
Like walking, you can bicycle outside on good-weather days and use a stationary bike during winter or when weather doesn't cooperate. Bicycling is also low-impact, like walking. Large gyms usually have at least one hand bike, or upper body ergometer. The hand bike works just like a normal bike, except you pedal with your hands instead of your feet. If you had to stop walking because of lower-body injuries, the UBE may be the ideal alternative until your lower body heals.
Group Fitness
Walking is an excellent social workout; you can recruit others, at work or at home, to walk with you and chat or even conduct business meetings as you stroll. But if you want even more social interaction, try taking a group fitness class. Most gyms offer a wide variety of group classes, from dance to yoga, step aerobics, martial arts or boot camps. You can also find group fitness offerings at schools dedicated to training martial arts, dance, yoga or other fitness-minded pursuits.
Think Outside the Box
Anything that gets your large muscle groups moving for more than 10 minutes provides heart-healthy benefits. If you're bored with walking, get creative by taking ballroom dance lessons, kayaking, playing basketball, hula hooping or doing any other activities that elevate your heart rate and leave you slightly out of breath. Switching activities, or at least mixing these alternatives in with your regular walking routine, can also help you avoid hitting the dreaded plateau. Because your body has to constantly adapt to new stimuli, you're more likely to continue progressing toward your fitness or weight loss goals.
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