Apart from cumbersome and often difficult gym routines, walking remains one of the easiest, safest, and most convenient forms of exercise. Not only does walking tone your muscles, it is also great for your cardiovascular health, can bring down your BP, reduce sugar levels, and even improve your mood! However, if you want to lose weight (and especially stubborn belly fat), that’s where the pyramid walking workout comes in. This structured and engaging workout method can maximise calorie burn, help shed belly fat, and keep you motivated. Let's find out more...
Pyramid walking
Pyramid walking is a low-mid intense workout style where you gradually increase your walking intensity, and then decrease it, forming a "pyramid" schedule in your workout. Instead of walking at a steady pace all throughout, you start slow, then walk faster or uphill in stages, reaching your peak speed in the middle of the workout, and then slow down in reverse order, and then keep repeating it in cycles all throughout. This helps in keeping your body engaged all throughout the session.
To explain it a bit more, imagine climbing a pyramid: you start at the base with easy steps, climb up by increasing your speed or incline, reach the top (with maximum effort) and then come back down by reducing intensity step by step.
How does it help
The pyramid walking workout is effective for weight loss because it mixes up different intensities, (fast and slow) which helps burn more calories and fat than walking at a steady pace. Here’s why it works:
Burns more calories: By gradually increasing your pace or incline, your heart rate rises and you enter the fat-burning zone. This means your body burns more calories per minute compared to regular walking.
Engages more muscles: Walking faster or uphill (like on an incline) works your leg muscles—glutes, quads, and calves—more intensely. This not only burns more calories but also tones your lower body.
Has an "afterburn effect": The intense parts of the workout create an "afterburn" effect (also called EPOC), where your body continues to burn calories even after you finish exercising. This makes pyramid walking more effective for fat loss than steady walking.
Engages core muscles: The changes in pace and intensity also engage your core muscles, helping to tone your midsection and reduce belly fat.
How to start Pyramid walking
Pyramid walking varies slightly from your regular brisk walking. Here’s a pyramid walking workout you can do in about 20 to 25 minutes. You can do this outdoors on a flat or hilly route (look for roads that require some hike to reach) or on a treadmill by adjusting speed and incline.
Warm-Up (3-5 minutes): Start with easy walking to get your heart rate up and muscles ready.
Build-Up Phase:
Increase speed or incline slightly and walk for 2 minutes.
Walk faster or steeper inclines for 3 minutes.
Peak Phase (4 minutes): Walk at your fastest sustainable pace or steepest incline. This is the top of your pyramid.
Cool-Down Phase:
Reduce speed or incline and walk for 3 minutes.
Slow down further for 2 minutes.
Finish with 1 minute of easy walking.
This workout can be adjusted to fit your fitness level by changing the walking speed, incline, or duration of each phase.
Why this workout works for (almost) everyone
Pyramid walking is not only effective, but also practical and sustainable for many people:
Customizable: You can adjust the workout to your fitness level and goals by changing speed, incline, or time spent at each stage.
