Social media is filled with methods to reinforce strolling exercises, whether or not that’s Japanese strolling to spice up effectivity or rucking with a weighted backpack to accentuate cardio calls for.
However what if you happen to’re discovering it tough to muster the self-discipline to get into any type of strolling routine? Enter the 6-6-6 strolling exercise problem, which is trending on TikTok.
Health model @obefitness says 6-6-6 strolling is easy, allows consistency, and might enhance your metabolism. The podcast @theeverygirl says on Instagram that the problem “helps you get your steps in and increase calorie burn.”
Is the 6-6-6 strolling problem best for you? Study what the consultants say.
What Is the 6-6-6 Strolling Problem?
The 6-6-6 strolling problem encourages strolling for 60 minutes three days per week, beginning at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., explains Christopher Gagliardi, an ACE-certified private coach based mostly in El Cajon, California. Inside the 60 minutes, it’s urged that you simply begin with six minutes of warm-up strolling and finish with six minutes of cool-down strolling.
The 48 minutes in between needs to be performed at a “brisk tempo,” or zone 2, to raise your coronary heart price and problem your cardiovascular system, says Raj Desai, MD, an interventional ache and regenerative medication doctor at DISC Sports activities and Backbone Middle in Encino, California.
The catchy 6-6-6 identify is probably going a “means of utilizing numbers and acronyms to get you engaged,” says Tim Smith, an internet health coach and licensed private coach on the well being and health app Welltech.
Potential Advantages of 6-6-6 Strolling
“I’m a agency believer in ‘motion is medication,’” says Dr. Desai. “I strongly advocate for normal train and strolling.”
- Sustaining a wholesome weight
- Dropping physique fats
- Reducing your danger for coronary heart illness, stroke, hypertension, most cancers, and kind 2 diabetes
- Bettering cardiovascular health
- Boosting bone and muscle energy
- Growing power
- Strengthening your immune system
- Minimizing stress
- Bettering temper
But some folks can’t encourage themselves to stroll recurrently. They could profit from the construction of the 6-6-6 strolling methodology, says Natasha Bhuyan, MD, a household doctor based mostly in Phoenix, Arizona. She says the problem might be “nice for individuals who want self-discipline.”
Are There Any Downsides?
Whereas some folks could just like the construction of the 6-6-6 program, others could discover it too rigid and time-intensive, Dr. Bhuyan says.
Desai says not everybody has an hour a day to stroll, or the power to train precisely at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. due to work schedules or household calls for — and he worries the strict pointers might discourage folks from exercising in any respect.
“The 60-minute every day dedication is important, as many sufferers I work with wrestle to get even half-hour in constantly,” Desai says.
The 6-6-6 strolling program additionally “lacks in personalization,” without any consideration for health degree, age, or general well being, Desai says. When you’re not used to exercising, it might set you up for harm, like shin splints or plantar fasciitis.
If You’re Match Sufficient for the 6-6-6 Strolling Exercise
Need to give the 6-6-6 exercise a strive? “Simply give it a go — don’t overthink it,” Smith says.
To get began with any strolling exercise, consultants advocate:
- Carrying snug strolling sneakers
- Making it gratifying by listening to music or podcasts, or strolling with a good friend
- Staying hydrated
- Monitoring your progress — and celebrating wins
- Listening to your physique and stopping strolling if you happen to ever really feel ache
Who Shouldn’t Strive the 6-6-6 Problem?
When you’re new to strolling or don’t train recurrently, leaping proper into strolling for 60 minutes at a time could also be an excessive amount of, Gagliardi says. In these cases, he suggests beginning smaller and constructing as much as a 60-minute stroll.
When you have any accidents, seek the advice of along with your physician earlier than starting a strolling program, Smith says. Desai provides that you probably have coronary heart situations, joint issues, or are typically sedentary, you also needs to search steerage out of your physician.
The Backside Line on 6-6-6 Strolling
“I’d all the time advocate strolling,” Smith says. “If attaching it to this pattern will get you on the market, then that’s all that issues.”
However if you happen to don’t have 60 minutes to stroll, can’t do it at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., or aren’t on the well being and health degree required to leap right into a full hour of strolling, you must tailor the timings and tempo to your schedule and talent. “It’s okay to build up a complete of 60 minutes all through the day,” Gagliardi says. This can preserve the exercise extra versatile and nonetheless get you shifting.
“If 6-6-6 is best for you, nice. If not, that’s okay additionally, and your problem would possibly look completely different from the present trending routine, and that’s simply positive,” Gagliardi says.
“The very best train program is the one that you simply’ll really keep on with long run,” Desai says.
