Combining cardiovascular and strength-training exercises can be risky, particularly if you use the weights in a way that strains your muscles or joints. But it isn't always harmful to walk with dumbbells; in fact, it can be quite beneficial. As long as the weights you use are light and you don't push yourself too hard, you can end up burning more calories and toning your upper-body muscles within a single routine.
Step 1
Get your doctor's approval before using dumbbells with your walk. If you have an upper-body injury, a chronic health condition or have not been active for a long time, the exercise might not be appropriate for you.
Step 2
Choose a pair of very light dumbbells. According to Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise, you can burn 5 to 15 percent more calories by using weights with your workout, but only if the weights are 3 lbs. or lighter. Heavier dumbbells might put too much strain on wrist and elbow joints or on your shoulder and arm muscles, resulting in prolonged discomfort or injury.
Step 3
Keep strong posture as you walk and proper form when you hold your dumbbells. To minimize strain and get the most muscle-building benefit, keep your arms close to your sides and your shoulders relaxed and down. Straighten up your back when walking, keeping your spine erect and never hunching over.
Step 4
Warm up for five minutes without your dumbbells, MayoClinic.com suggests. Walk slowly or in place until your muscles feel warmer and more limber than they did when you started.
Step 5
Walk while holding the dumbbells, maintaining slow and controlled movements and never swinging the weights or letting their momentum dictate your motions.
Tips and Warnings
- Consider using wrist weights instead of dumbbells when you walk. Bryant notes that tightly gripping dumbbells may result in an exaggerated blood pressure response in some people, but wrist weights do not require gripping and won't carry the same risk. To give leg muscles a greater challenge, try walking lunges with dumbbells, the ExRx website recommends. Hold one dumbbell in each hand with arms at your sides. Step forward and lower into a lunge, bending both knees to 90 degrees but not letting your front knee go past your toes. Straighten up and step forward with the other leg.
- If you feel sharp pain while using dumbbells, stop walking. Set the weights down and go without them until the pain subsides; if it persists, see your doctor.
References
- American Council on Exercise; Do the benefits outweigh the risks if individuals hold dumbbells in their hands while doing step aerobics or other cardio activities?; Cedric Bryant; Dec. 8, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Walking: Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health; Dec. 18, 2010
- ExRx: Dumbbell Walking Lunge
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