Brisk walking, Nordic walking, 10,000 steps per day… Many routines promise to help us refine our silhouette, without always lasting over time. In recent months, a new method has attracted all the attention: Pyramid Walking, which promises to transform a simple outing into a real fat-burning session. A method that claims visible results on the line in just 35 minutes of structured walking.
Coming from the United States and already adopted by many experts, pyramid walking is based on a gradual increase then a gradual decrease in intensity, instead of remaining at a constant speed. Stated objective: burn more calories, target abdominal fat and find a flatter stomach in 20 to 30 minutes of active work, with the possibility of pushing up to 35 minutes to refine the entire silhouette.
Pyramid Walking: a pyramid walk that breaks the monotony
For American physiotherapist Kelly Sturm, Pyramid Walking is a workout that uses a structure that she describes as a . She summarizes the principle with this very telling image: , she explains. This intermittent walk can be practiced both outdoors and on treadmills, by varying the speed or incline.
This game on slopes and changes of pace allows you to, explains Kelly Sturm. And then, as fitness coach Garima Goyal points out, interviewed by the ,
Burn abdominal fat with Pyramid Walking in 20 to 35 minutes
On a metabolic level, the interest of pyramid walking is clear for American dietitian Melissa Mitri: she explains, interviewed by . Kelly Sturm talks about achieving , which, added to variations in intensity, creates a real afterburn effect, with increased expenditure even after the session.
This split format doesn’t just work the cardio. Melissa Mitri also insists on its efficiency with each acceleration. Kelly Sturm goes in the same direction by presenting the pyramid walk as a . According to her, . By gradually extending this pattern to around 35 minutes, we further maximize the overall refinement of the silhouette.
How to practice Pyramid Walking for a 35 minute session
To start, experts recommend a session of 20 to 25 minutes. The idea is to keep the pyramidal structure described by Kelly Sturm, respecting precise levels, as also proposed by the classic pyramidal walk:
- 3 to 5 minutes of warm-up with easy walking,
- then 1, 2, 3 and 4 minutes of increasingly sustained walking,
- before going back down in 3, 2 then 1 minute slower,
- and a return to calm for a few minutes.
Over the course of training, it becomes possible to gradually increase the duration of the active phases and the return to calm to tend towards a session of around 35 minutes, without changing the pyramid structure. Kelly Sturm points out that it is a method that can be kept in the long term, since it remains an activity that is gentle on the joints but intense enough to maintain the loss of abdominal fat and the afterburn effect, provided that it is practiced regularly, in line with the recommendations of at least 30 minutes of brisk walking, 5 days a week.
Pyramid Walking FAQ
Pyramid Walking: does it replace 10,000 steps per day?
The pyramid walk does not follow the logic of 10,000 steps, but that of a structured effort. A session of 20 to 35 minutes, with fast and slower phases, can provide as much or even more benefit than a long monotonous walk, especially for abdominal fat.
Is pyramid walking suitable for beginners or returning to sport?
Yes, because the intensity is easily modulated. You can start with very short increments, stay at comfortable speeds and increase the duration or incline only when the body gets used to it, while remaining attentive to your breath and your joints.
Can you do Pyramid Walking on a treadmill?
The treadmill is ideal for precisely controlling speed and incline. Simply reproduce the intensity pyramid by gradually increasing then reducing these parameters, keeping warm-up and cool-down phases.
Sources
- Aufeminin
“No more active walking, “Pyramid walking” is the most effective way to walk to lose belly fat”
