Walk On: 6 Mile Mix

I have been slowly purchasing all of Jessica Smith‘s workouts over the past year. I used to not bother with her Walk On workouts but cancer changed that mindset. Now that I own so many of them (I own more than have been reviewed here–so there are more reviews coming) I have found I really love her Walk On workouts. There may come a day when I don’t do them anymore but who knows? Maybe not. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your workouts. They don’t always have to be super intense or high impact/plyometric. Of her Walk On workouts that contain multiple short walks, this one is my favorite so far.

6 Mile Mix contains 3 cardio walks, 3 toning walks + a warm up, cool down and a stretch. There is a 2:30 minute intro in which Jessica describes each walk. For the 3 toning walks you need a resistance band. The other 3 cardio walks need no equipment. For the stretch you need a chair. You can choose Play All or customize the workout. Customizing is just creating your own workout by picking and choosing which walks you want to do and also choosing the order you want them to play. Jessica has her usual two background exercisers with her–her mother Debbie, who shows easier versions of the exercises and her friend Beth, who shows more advanced versions.

I really enjoyed these walks. I used them all as part of my build up phase. I am increasing the intensity/level of my main workouts and also the time I spend working out in the mornings. I am still doing Jessica’s 30 minute workouts as my main workouts (Walk Strong 3 currently) so I extend my workout time using add ons like these walks. 6 Mile Mix is set in the same place as Walk Strong 1. There is a timer in the bottom right hand corner of the screen counting down each walk. The warm up, cool down and stretch do not have the timer in the corner.

Warm Up is 6 minutes and begins marching in place while Jessica introduces her fellow exercisers (her mom, Debbie, and her friend, Beth). These are the warm up moves in the order they appear (though Jessica returns to some of them, I am only listing them once): side to side step tap; w/ fingertips on shoulders, circle shoulders; march forward and back while reaching arms from shoulders to overhead; heel digs; hamstring curls; w/ one leg extended in front of you, flex and point your toes; changes to circling foot/ankle; alternating taps to side; extend one leg to side w/ foot turned so toe is on floor and heel facing the ceiling, rotate foot so heel is on floor and toe is facing the ceiling, keep alternating that movement (this warms up the hips); using your leg only, trace a figure 8 in front of you; alternating toe taps; raise and lower onto toes; add a squat (squat then raise onto toes).

Mile 1: Steady Burn is 15:30 minutes. This is a steady state cardio walk. Not super intense but it did get my heart rate elevated and I enjoyed it.

1. Step out and in; changes to walking forward 4 steps, step out and in 2x, walk back 4 steps, step out and in 2x, continue repeating this pattern
2. Hamstring curls
3. Wide taps to side w/ cross punches; changes to overhead punches
4. Repeat 2 & 3
5. Alternating low front kick w/ punching both arms to the front; changes to punching both arms overhead; keep alternating 4 of each punch (4 front, 4 overhead)
6. Double side steps
7. March in place (or jog) while punching arms overhead
8. Repeat #1
9. Alternating heel digs
10. Alternating tap backs
11. Alternate 9 & 10
12. Alternating wide knee lifts while pulling arms from overhead down to knee that is raising
13. Repeat 11 & 12
14. Grapevine
15. Double side step w/ toe tap; toe tap changes to knee raise; circle arms twice when side stepping and tap thigh when raising knee
16. Repeat 14 & 15
17. Side step forward and back (4 steps forward and 4 steps back, so you are moving on a zig zag)
18. Hamstring curls
19. Double wide knee pulls, pulling arms down from overhead to knee
20. Repeat 17-19
21. Double side step w/ toe tap; toe tap changes to cross-over kick
22. Lateral skaters while pushing arms forward
23. March in place with arms extended straight to side and circling
24. Repeat 22 & 23

Mile 2: Upper Body Sculpt is 15 minutes. Equipment: flat resistance band. I found this walk much more challenging than I expected. I contribute that to two things. First is, I used this walk as a finisher for Jessica’s Walk Strong 3: Upper Body and my arms were already fried and second, I used Cathe’s resistance bands.They come in 3 levels–light, medium and heavy. For the majority of the workout I used the medium band, but any time Jessica said we would be working back or biceps, I used the heavy band. And maybe the medium band is too heavy for this workout–maybe I should have used the light band. The heavy band was fine for back and biceps (#9-12 below) but just about every other move literally fried my shoulders. Again, that probably had something to do with the fact I had just finished an intense upper body workout and my arms and shoulders were already burning. Anyway, the point is, this is a great finisher for the upper body–it definitely finished me off. However, I will note that on one of the exercises (#6–tricep kickbacks) the “non-working” arm was burning worse than the working arm! There is a fix for that if you are having the same problem. When Cathe does tricep kickbacks with a band she anchors the non-working arm against her body (her shoulder usually) then the non-working arm isn’t burning out faster than the working arm!

1. Holding one end of band in each hand arms raised in front of you, do alternating heel digs while pulling band open
2. Still holding band the same as #2, raise arms overhead, do alternating knee raises while pulling band down toward knee
3. Wrap band behind back, still holding an end in each hand, step side to side while pushing band forward then pulling back wide
4. Repeat 1-3
5. Hold the band overhead (one end of band in each hand) and tap on foot out to side, each time you tap foot you pull band down w/ same side arm (keep other arm extended straight overhead)
6. March in place while doing single arm tricep kickbacks w/ band (other arm is extended straight in front of you holding one end of the band while the other does the kickback)
7. Holding one end of band in each hand, arms raised in front of you, step back w/ one foot to the side while doing a bow and arrow arm (pulling band back as you step) w/ same side arm, alternate sides (more advanced option is stepping back into a wide plie squat)
8. Repeat 5-7
9. Step on band w/ one foot (still holding one end of band in each hand) and do bicep curls while tapping other foot to the side then behind stationary leg (more advanced option is stepping back into a curtsy lunge)
10. Stand on band with both feet and choke up on band, hinge forward and do back rows
11. Repeat 9 on other side of body
12. Repeat 10
13. Hold one end in each hand, raise arms so band is in front of you, do hamstring curls while pulling band open quickly (works triceps and shoulders)
14. Still holding band the same way as in 13, do alternating knee raises while bringing opposite elbow toward knee
15. Repeat 13 & 14
16. Fold band in half and hold one end in each hand, march in place while doing a figure 8 motion with arms/band

Mile 3: Lower Body Toner is 15:30 minutes. Equipment: flat resistance band and a fitness mat on floor behind you. Another great toning walk. This one did not burn me out like Upper Body Toner did. I did use it as a finisher for Walk Strong 3: Lower Body but that workout did not fry my lower body like Upper Body fried my upper body. It did work my lower body very well and this walk did a good job rounding out my workout. I used Cathe’s resistance bands. They come in 3 levels–light, medium and heavy–and used the heavy band for this entire workout.

1. Band is folded in half with an end held in each hand, do double side steps while raising and lowering band (held taut); add side leg lift (2 steps + side leg lift)
2. Lower into a single leg squat and hold while tapping other foot out to side and back in; hold leg out straight to side (still in single leg squat) and raise and lower straight leg
3. Repeat 1
4. Stand on band, feet hip width apart, one end of band in each hand held at hips, walk 4 wide steps to each side
5. Do stationary narrow lunges w/ band under front foot and holding an end of the band in each hand, hands choked up on the band for tension (more like a single leg squat)
6. Repeat 4
7. Fold band in half and hold with an end held in each hand and held taut, alternate tapping toes back while raising and lowering band; changes to raising band overhead; tap back changes to raising the leg behind you (glute lift)
8. Lower into single leg squat while raising other leg out to side, alternate sides
9. Repeat 7 & 8
10. Band is still folded in half with an end held in each hand, do a forward crossing grapevine w/ a knee lift and cross chop w/ band
11. Lay on one hip and one elbow on mat, legs are bent in front of you at 90 degrees in front of hips, hold one end of band on floor w/ bottom hand and other end of band is held to top knee w/ top hand, open and close top knee while heels remain together (clamshell)
12. Lay on side, bottom leg is extended straight, top leg is bent w/ foot on floor, band is wrapped around bottom foot while holding ends of band in one hand, lift and lower bottom leg
13. Lay on back, knees bent and heels on floor close to bottom, place band across hips, holding an end of the band in each hand against the floor, lift and lower hips (resisted bridges)
14. Repeat 11 & 12 on other leg
15. Repeat #13 except this time instead of heels digging into the floor, you are raised onto your toes

Mile 4: Cardio Interval Abs is 15 minutes. This walk was a surprise–more intense than I expected. I used this as an add on after doing Walk Strong 3: Cardio Hit and I expected this to be more of a cool down but it jacked my heart rate right back up there. Since Cardio Hit is a cardio boxing workout I was already wearing weighted gloves. I just kept them on for this workout and that probably helped increase the intensity. I was also following Beth and doing the more intense versions of the moves, but if jumping isn’t for you then you can still follow Debbie and make this low impact. I really enjoyed this intense little cardio walk.

1. Alternate side toe taps w/ alternating upper cuts
2. Lateral skaters chopping arms from shoulder to opposite hip
3. Alternating knee raises while chopping arms down from overhead to opposite hip
4. Repeat 1-3
5. Interval: fast windmills (similar to Cathe‘s low impact Fred Astaire move; lunging side to side while windmilling straight arms); recover w/ hamstring curls then repeat interval 2 more times
6. Cross arms so fingers are on opposite shoulders w/ elbows raised to shoulder height, alternate raising knees while bringing elbow toward opposite knee
7. Step forward and back with same foot (other foot remains stationary) w/ a little torso twist
8. Repeat 6 & 7
9. Interval: with legs wide, hands clasped, do figure 8 scoops with arms, shifting from side to side; skip hops (alternating knee raises w/ a small hop while reaching opposite arm overhead); repeat interval 2 more times
10. Double side step w/ skater tap back; add a torso twist w/ the tap back
11. Alternating step knees moving side to side on a diagonal
12. V steps, hands/arms in guard, twisting elbows side to side
13. Repeat 10-11
14. Interval: double knee pulls each side; fast squats w/ cross chops (add a hop); repeat interval 2 more times
15. Repeat 12

Mile 5: Total Body Tune Up is 16 minutes. Equipment: flat resistance band. Another great toning walk. I really enjoyed this walk and it did a good job hitting all body parts, so an excellent total body finisher. Jessica makes sure to hit your core, too. I used Cathe’s resistance bands. They come in 3 levels–light, medium and heavy. I used the medium band for the majority of the workout but I used the heavy band for back, biceps and lower body work (#7-12 & 15 below).

1. Band is folded in half with an end held in each hand, step tap side to side while chopping band from shoulder to opposite hip; changes to chopping from overhead to opposite hip
2. Hamstring curls while holding band straight in front of you (still folded and held the same as 1) and chop band down to opposite hip, alternating sides
3. Open band and bring it behind upper back while holding an end in each hand, do an alternating front lunge while doing a chest fly with the band
4. Raise one arm while holding one end of band, grip the other end of the band with other hand and do a single arm tricep kickback while marching in place
5. Hold band in front of you (an end in each hand) and do heel digs while pulling elbows back (upper back row)
6. Repeat 3-5
7. Stand on band w/ feet hip width apart and choke up on band, do bent over back rows
8. Band is in same position as #7 but you are standing up straight, do double side steps
9. Band is still in same position as #8, step out to side while doing a bicep curl, alternate sides
10. Repeat 7-9
11. Fold band in half and hold with an end held in each hand and held taut, raise band in front of you and do a double side step w/ knee lift, reach arms overhead when side stepping and chop band down to opposite hip when lifting knee
12. Unfold band and stand on it again, feet hip distance apart, squat and raise leg to side, alternate legs
13. Stand on one end of the band with one foot and hold other end of band in same side arm, tap other leg out and in while raising straight arm/band to side; tap changes to side leg raise if you are following Beth
14. Still holding band the same as in #13, step forward and back with foot not holding band while punching band out when you step forward
15. Still holding band in same position as #13 and 14, choke up more on band and do a single arm row while also doing a reverse lunge w/ opposite leg
16. Repeat 12
17. Repeat 13-15 on other side of body

Mile 6: Speed Walk is 12 minutes. I expected this walk to be more intense than it was by the title. It is a good cardio walk and I enjoyed it but it wasn’t the most intense of the 6 walks–just the shortest. It is a speed walk because Jessica has you marching in place to a faster tempo–or jogging if you are following Beth, which I was. I still found it a great walk. I used it as an add on after another cardio workout and it did a great job extending my workout time and keeping the cardio burn going.

1. Step out wide and back in 2x then march in place, keep repeating this pattern
2. Walk forward 4 steps, alternate tapping toes to side 4x, walk back 4 steps, alternate tapping toes to side 4x, keep repeating this pattern
3. Repeat 1 & 2
4. Step tap side to side; changes to 2 side steps to each side; changes to grapevine side to side
5. Repeat 4
6. Step tap side to side moving forward and back
7. Lateral skaters swinging arms side to side
8. Alternating knee raises pulling arms down from overhead
9. Repeat 6-8
10. Jog forward and back
11. Side to side step tap, changing direction on Jessica’s cue
12. March (or jog) in place while punching one arm overhead and the other to the side, alternate arms; changes to punching both arms overhead
13. Repeat 10-12
14. Repeat 10
15. Jog in place punching both arms overhead

Cool Down is 5 minutes. This has no static stretching in it–she includes a bonus stretch for that. This is just to cool you down from you walks. It does contain some dynamic stretching. It starts marching in place. These are cool down moves in the order they appear (though Jessica returns to some of them, I am only listing them once): side to side step tap; double side steps; tap toe behind you then tap heel in front of you, keep alternating; crescent knee circles; large arm circles; hamstring curl; alternating toe taps; ankle circles w/ toe still on floor; deep breaths reaching arms overhead; shoulder circles.

Bonus Stretch is 6 minutes. Equipment: chair. This is a great stretch to add on to the end of any workout, not just these. Jessica has some workouts with non-existent stretches at the end–this is a perfect little stretch to pop in after one of those workouts to finish it off.

1. Stand facing chair back w/ hands on chair back and hinge forward with straight legs (standing forward fold but w/ your arms on chair back you are also stretching upper body)
2. Standing cat/cow w/ hands on thighs
3. In split stance, front knee bent and back leg straight (stretching hamstring/calf); bend back knee while keeping heel on floor, deepening stretch
4. Standing quad stretch (using chair back for balance)
5. Repeat 3 & 4 on other side of body
6. Sit on chair and do seated pigeon, leaning forward to deepen stretch
7. Still seated, extend one leg straight w/ heel on floor, other is bent, grab chair back w/ both hands and lean forward, stretching chest; reach arms down toward toe of straight leg
8. Still seated, open legs wide, feet on floor, pressing hands against knees to stretch inner thighs (or lower hands to floor to stretch even deeper)
9. Head rolls to stretch neck
10. Spine extensions (arching back)
11. Ends with a deep breath, raising arms overhead