Overload Principle
If you want different results you must do something different...
What happens when we start exercise?
Our bodies can adjust easily, especially with physical ‘stress’ such as exercise.
When we begin a new activity such as walking, we feel the demands on our body – we may puff and pant our way around
the block, stop for a breather, have to rest when we get home and even get sore muscles in our shins and hamstrings.
If we keep this up, over a period of weeks our body gets used to the activity – our leg muscles become stronger, our
cardiovascular system improves and the distance and effort becomes easier. Our body has gotten use to the
‘stress’ (exercise) and it has become normal.
What’s next?
Small steps
If we want to improve on this exercise and get even fitter,
then we must overload the body again by adding more or
a different kind of ‘stress’. This is known as the Overload
Principle.
Overload can be achieved with small amounts of change.
When we increase exercise further, once again the body
will feel the added demands and we may be a little
uncomfortable, until we get used to the new pattern.
Increasing exercise too much too soon can lead to
discomfort and potentially giving up.
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Add on an extra 10 minutes to your walk time
Try to walk faster
Walk more often
Go up some hills
Carry some weights
Overload the body gently and progressively, create
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and
Time bound) goals for yourself to avoid giving up.
Interval Training
Interval training involves a series of high-intensity bursts of speed followed by slower recovery exercises. The main aim is to
increase your fitness and speed and is another way to achieve overload. If you include interval training into your
walking, you’ll reap even more rewards:
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Helps you burn a greater number of calories
Raises your heart rate more than strolling along at a constant pace
Adds variety into your walks.
There are many ways you can interval train when you walk. For example; lamp post to lamp post— between two lamp
posts walk at a fast pace, then between the next lamp posts lower your pace and walk slowly. Keep alternating this pattern.
As you improve, increase the amount of lamp posts you are walking fast between.