Happy New Year! So, how are the hangovers? All recovered from a rockin NYE party yet, and have you made any resolutions? More importantly, have you broken any yet?

After a week or two of festive feasting, getting fitter and losing weight are resolutions that top the list for many of us, and there’s something about a New Year that  inspires a desire for healthier living and better bodies.

But if the thought of a gym membership and some lycra shorts scares you to the bar and back, then don’t worry. We’ve got a brilliant solution to help you get into shape, without a scary fitness regime. If you already enjoy the walks that we feature on the blog, then you’re half way there. A walk workout is a great new way to incorporate fitness boosting techniques into your everyday walk, so why not give it a go? And you’ll get to see some stunning countryside as you go too.

Follow our top tips for your walk workout:

• Find a friend or partner to walk with you. Studies show that people who pair up with a friend to exercise are less likely to cancel and are more likely to exercise for longer. And if someone else is relying on you to turn up for your scheduled walk, you’re less likely to stay on the sofa.
• Try a local walking group for extra support, new walks and an opportunity to make new friends.
• Include more uphill sections in each of your walks. Walking uphill forces your muscles to work harder, makes your core abdominal muscles contract to keep your body upright and demands that your heart and lungs move oxygen around the body more efficiently.
• And why not try to include some intervals into your walk? Interval exercise is short bursts of high intensity activity followed by a longer recovery period of lower intensity activity. Experts believe that interval training is a highly effective way to improve fitness because it makes more demands on the body than simply training at one steady pace. After warming up at your usual pace for 10 minutes, increase your walking speed to as fast as you can comfortable go and keep the pace for a minute. Return to your usual pace for another five minutes, repeat the highest speed for a minute, then slow down for another five. Keep repeating for the duration of your walk.
• Add some weights – there are a great range of specially made ankle and wrist weights that you can wear while walking and the more weight you carry the harder your body works and the more calories you burn.
• Nordic Walking is one of the quickest growing fitness trends in the UK and grabbing some poles could help you burn between 25 and 40% more calories than regular walking alone.
• Once your fitness has started to improve add some different kind of movement to your walks. Surprise your body by including bursts of star-jumps, stretches, sit-ups or even short periods of running. The change of pace and different use of muscles will keep your body working hard and will burn extra calories.
• One of the easiest ways to boost your walks is to schedule in a longer, more challenging walk every week. Keep up the shorter training walks during the week, but use the weekend to push yourself further and faster than before.

So now there’s no excuse! Start 2015 as you mean to go on and enjoy a brilliant walk workout to really get your fitness regime going.

**Please note that these directions are for guidance only. The Oakeley Arms can accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or injury resulting from the use of this information. Always take a map with you and be prepared for the weather for turn. Do not venture out in bad weather.