We’re big fans of a daily walk here at Strong Women, but we’ll be the first to admit that following the same route day in, day out can get old quickly. 

Mixing up your route can only go so far – after all, there’s not much distance you can cover on your lunch break – and it’s not like you can buy a coffee or meet up with a friend every day of the week. Sometimes, it’s just you and the pavement.

But here’s the thing: while walking on its own can get pretty dull, there are plenty of ways to make the process much more challenging and engaging. From your leg muscles to your breath, you can work out a variety of different body areas while still reaping the benefits of upping your step count.

It’s not the kind of thing you’ll want to do every day; after all, simply going for a walk is a great form of active recovery. But if you’re in the mood to try something new, then we’ve put together this guide to some of the best ways to make your daily walk more challenging.  

1. Give rucking a go

This military-inspired workout has been going big on TikTok recently, and while I wasn’t the biggest fan when I tried it, it’s ideal for anyone who wants to transform their regular walk into something more akin to a traditional workout.

All it involves is adding some weight to a backpack and walking while carrying it. To get started, simply work out how much weight you need to add (experts recommend between 5-10% of your bodyweight), make sure the weight is distributed properly and head out for a short plod around the block.  

2. Hit the hills

There’s nothing quite like walking uphill to get your blood pumping and your thighs burning, so what better way to make your daily walk more challenging?

“Walking uphill or on an incline can raise your heart rate and activate the glutes and hamstrings,” explains Penny Weston, a fitness expert and founder of MADE Wellness Centre. “Incline walking is also a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness.”

If you don’t happen to live next to a mountain (aka, most of us), you can just try to include more inclines in your route, whether that’s climbing some stairs or going up and down a mound in your local park.

3. Add some ankle weights

As well as upping the ante of your pilates and yoga sessions, ankle weights can make your daily walk more challenging. Simply slip them on before your walk around the block and let the added weight do the work.

4. Engage your core

Paying attention to your core might be the last thing you’d think of doing on your daily walk, but placing your focus on this area can make a real difference, Weston says. 

“By adapting your form slightly, walking can really help to work your abs,” she explains. “One way to do this is by pulling your belly button towards your spine, which will engage your core. It will be difficult to stay in this position for the whole walk, but over time your core will strength and you will be able to hold this position for longer.”

You don’t want to do this all the time: engaging your core in this way too regularly, or for too long, can lead to a condition called ‘hourglass syndrome’. But doing it every so often alongside other core-centric exercise can help to improve your overall core strength.

5. Practise breathwork

On a recent episode of The Mindbodygreen Podcast, mobility experts Kelly and Juliet Starrett spoke about a variety of ways you can “dress up” your daily walk – one of which is breathwork. On the podcast, Kelly talks about doing “breath holds” in a bid to increase his CO2 tolerance – an ability some people believe can help us to deal better with stress. However, research in this area is limited, and holding your breath for extended periods of time isn’t advisable for obvious reasons. 

However, using your daily walk to try other, less extreme forms of breathwork is still a good idea. Box breathing, which works to calm the nervous system, is a prime example. 

6. Incorporate strength training

If you don’t fancy rucking or using ankle weights, you could just opt for some good old handheld weights instead. Not only will this increase the intensity of your walk, but it gives you an opportunity to fit in some upper body strength training in the form of shoulder presses, bicep curls and overhead tricep presses.

You’ll need to make sure your weights aren’t too heavy, though. “Anything too heavy can affect your form and is likely to do more harm than good,” Weston explains. “If you don’t have any weights, you could try filling up some water bottles or using some cans out of the kitchen cupboard.”

7. Up your pace

It may be obvious, but it really does do the job. If you really want to push yourself, you could even try power walking. Although, as I found out when I gave it a go, it’s a lot more intense than you might expect.

8. Go backwards

This might not be the safest option when you’re out and about, but if you’ve got an at-home treadmill to walk on, walking backwards could be the challenge you’ve been looking for.

As Stylist’s Ellen Scott found out, it’s not quite as difficult as it sounds, and can offer plenty of benefits that walking forwards cannot. Fitness experts agree – what’s not to love? 

Images: Getty