VRYHEID KZN: How to strive for five in a parkwalk

Ready to strive for five? Here’s your eight-week guide to successfully completing a 5km walk.

You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own pace and do as much or as little as you can or want, celebrating your progress along the way.

Week one
15 minutes of walking every other day at an easy pace (this doesn’t have to be done in one go; take breaks as you need to).

Week two
15 minutes of walking every other day at an easy pace (remember, this doesn’t have to be done in one go).
Try to add in a five-minute or 500m continuous (you could consider doing one minute of faster-paced walking and one minute of easy walking) once a week.

Week three
15 minutes of walking every other day at a steady pace (this doesn’t have to be done in one go).
Also try to do a 10-12 minute or approximately 1km continuous (also try two minutes of faster-pace walking and one minute of easy walking) once a week.

Week four
15 minutes of walking every other day at a steady pace (this doesn’t have to be done in one go).
If you can, add in a 15-minute or approximately 1.5km / one-mile continuous walk (alternating three minutes of faster-pace walking with two minutes of easy walking) once a week.
You’re halfway there!

Week five
15 minutes of walking every other day (this doesn’t have to be done in one go).
Also try for a 30-minute or approximately 2.5km continuous walk (maybe alternating five minutes of faster-paced walking with two minutes of steady walking) once a week.

Week six
15 minutes of walking every other day (this doesn’t have to be done in one go).
Add a 40-minute or approximately 3km continuous walk (altering seven minutes of faster-paced walking and three minutes of easy walking) once a week.

Week seven
17 minutes of walking every day (this doesn’t have to be done in one go).
Plus, try to do a 50-minute or approximately 4km walk (alternating 10 minutes of faster-paced walking and five minutes of easy walking) once a week.

Week eight
60-minute or 5km walk. You did it!

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