Walk Your Way Fit

If you’ve ever considered taking up walking to help meet your fitness goals, look no further than Walk Your Way Fit: Your Guide to Better Health, Wellness, and Vitality.

Clinical exercise physiologist Sarah Zahab is the 2012 and 2014 winner of the Ontario race walk championships (5,000 m) and the 2016 winner of the Canadian indoor national championship (3,000 m). In Walk Your Way Fit, she details the most efficient, effective, and enjoyable ways to use walking as a tool to improve your fitness and boost longevity. You’ll discover how walking benefits the body on the physiological level and how to improve your walking workouts and walking speeds, no matter your fitness level.

With tips on injury avoidance, you will be prepared to recognize overuse injuries, recover from injuries, and prevent them from occurring again. Along with scientific evidence for the benefits of walking, Walk Your Way Fit provides you with the following:

• 10 warm-up drills to safely prepare the body for walking
• 11 cool-down stretches to ease out of walking
• 16 targeted strength exercises to help support your walking
• 12 walking workouts with multiple options to provide variety and an overall balanced walking plan

Purposeful and practical, this guide includes 20-, 30-, 45-, 60-, and 75-minute workouts, plus a timed trial to assess walking fitness. You’ll also find a variety of workout options—including intervals, power walking, and jogging paired with walking—as well as three treadmill workouts for those days when the weather just isn’t cooperating.

And if you are interested in getting serious, Walk Your Way Fit includes race training plans for the 5K, 10K, and half-marathon to ensure you’re ready for competition. Zahab’s own experience as a nationally ranked race walker will help you feel confident as you prepare to hit the starting line.

Whether you walk regularly or are just getting started, this guide equips you with all the tools you need to make the most of your walking workouts.

Audience

Individuals interested in beginning or incorporating an effective, progressive walking program to improve health and achieve fitness goals. Active individuals looking to add intensity to their current walking programs. Fitness professionals wanting to understand and implement safe and purposeful walking programs for their clients. Postsecondary students in an exercise related program.

Foreword by Ray Zahab
Introduction

Part I. Foundations for Your Training
Chapter 1. Benefits of Walking
Chapter 2. Anatomy and Physiology of Walking
Chapter 3. Gear and Terrain

Part II. Master the Form
Chapter 4. Breathing and Alignment
Chapter 5. Gait and Walking Technique

Part III. Prepare for Your Workout
Chapter 6. Warm Up and Cool Down
Chapter 7. Amplification Tips and Strategies
Chapter 8. Modifications and Injury Prevention
Chapter 9. Strength Training for Walkers

Part IV. Walking Workouts and Training Plans
Chapter 10. Time-Based Workouts
Chapter 11. Purpose-Based Workouts
Chapter 12. 5K, 10K, and Half-Marathon Training Plans

Sarah Zahab is a registered kinesiologist, clinical exercise physiologist, and group fitness instructor with over 25 years of full-time fitness industry experience. She studied human kinetics at the University of Ottawa and graduated with honors (magma cum laude) with a bachelor of health sciences degree and a minor in biology. Zahab is constantly continuing her education with various courses, workshops, and conferences and regularly reviews journals and evidence-based research from multiple sources.

A former international fitness competitor, Zahab was fortunate to represent Canada at the Ms. Fitness World competition four times, placing in the top 20 for three of those competitions (2004, 2005, and 2007). She has been a nationally ranked race walker and is the 2012 and 2014 winner of the Ontario race walk championships (5,000 m) as well as the 2016 winner of the Canadian indoor national championship (3,000 m). She enjoys leading walking groups and regularly partakes in a vigorous walking regimen herself. A dancer from the age of three, she also has a background in competitive dance (jazz, tap, and hip-hop) as well as an extensive background in ballet and Middle Eastern dance.

Zahab presents fitness workshops at conferences in Canada and internationally. She is passionate about elevating health care practitioners’ knowledge and skills to help the general population improve overall health and wellness. She is often sought out to present, and she draws record numbers of delegates to her sessions. She was awarded the canfitpro Canadian Presenter of the Year Award in 2023.

Zahab is the owner of Continuum Fitness & Movement Performance, a multidisciplinary clinic in Ottawa that has assisted 12 athletes in successfully participating in the Olympic Games. She is a former fitness expert for the CTV Morning Live television show (Ottawa), where she provided expert advice to their large viewing audience for over 10 years. She has also authored articles featured in various publications.

Bird dog: back exercise
Dumbbell triceps extension
How fast to walk for exercise?
Optimal positioning while walking
Walking time trials

Deep muscles of the footShoulder rolls and arm rollsStanding band rowShort foot exercise

About the book

Author interview with Sarah Zahab