Workout Review: 5k Walk with a Twist with Leslie Sansone
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There are some days when a walk outside just isn’t going to happen. Maybe you’re in the middle of a winter storm—or a torrential downpour. Maybe you’re home with a sick kid. Or maybe you just feel like changing it up.
On those days, I’d often head to the old treadmill in our basement workout room for an often excruciatingly dull walk while watching something fluffy on Netflix. But there are other—less dull—ways to get those steps in.
I’d heard about some of the walking workouts on YouTube—so when my walking buddy had to cancel at the last minute, and I was home with a tired tween, I decided to give it a shot. And once I pulled up YouTube on the basement TV, I went straight for the Walk from Home channel—because it’s the one I’d heard about the most.
The Walk at Home channel offers a variety of workouts for all kinds of paces and preferences. There are family walks and 1-mile walks and short step challenges and even floor workouts. But since I was looking for a longer workout, I went with the “5k Walk with a Twist” with Leslie Sansone.
The video starts with a warm-up, during with Leslie explains some of the easier steps that she’ll be using. This isn’t just walking in place, after all. She often adds in easy side steps or kicks—sometimes adding in some arm movements, too. Nothing is too difficult here, though—so if you’re one of those people who just don’t have the coordination for the typical aerobics classes, you don’t have to worry. The moves here are basic, and they give you a little bit of variety to make the workout fun.
For each mile, the video offers a countdown, so you’ll know how far you have to go. In the last two miles, there’s a “boosted walk”—which is actually a jog. But if you need to keep things low-impact (like I do), you can just keep walking through the boost, and you’ll still get a great workout.
Of course, I have no idea whether this workout was really a 5k—or even how they made that calculation. I knew that my Strava app wouldn’t be especially accurate—because of the different arm motions used throughout the workout—so my app actually clocked the workout at 2.74 miles instead of 3.1.
Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this simple workout. The music isn’t exactly inspiring, but the different basic steps bring some different muscles into the workout—not to mention a little bit of variation to the same old walking in place, without being too complicated. Leslie is easygoing and motivational without being too over-the-top. I even found myself smiling during at times during the video. And I felt like I got a pretty good workout in the end.
I love that these videos offer an alternative to a walk outdoors on days when it’s just not possible. This wouldn’t be my daily go-to workout, but it’s definitely a fun way to change it up from time to time—to get those steps in on days when a long walk in the woods just isn’t in the cards.
Ready to give it a shot? You can find the video on YouTube – or scroll down to watch! Or you can pick up a copy of the DVD on Amazon.
Pros:
Easy step variations – nothing too complicated
Works a few different muscles
Changes up the pacing
Countdown clock for each mile
Doesn’t require a lot of workout space
Easygoing host – motivational without being pushy or obnoxious
Cons:
Canned music
Difficult to track on Strava and other apps
Longer workouts include ads, which can be confusing and distracting
