Walk On: 10 Minute Quick Walk Mix

10 Minute Quick Walk Mix is another collection of short walks from Jessica Smith. It contains 6 approx. 10 minute walks + one 12 minute stretch. 3 of the walks are strength walks and 3 of the walks are cardio walks. I love Jessica’s walking workouts in all lengths but, other than her YouTube workouts, this is the only DVD of hers that had walks this short, so I decided I needed it. It turned out to be yet another great Walk On collection. I used them as add ons after a longer workout (usually 30-35 minutes) to extend my morning workout to 45 minutes. They worked perfectly for that purpose.

These are all uncomplicated workouts. I want to say beginner level, but I have convinced my husband to exercise by doing Jessica Smith’s walking workouts. He hasn’t done any structured exercise in years and has been very resistant to starting back up again. But I convinced him that something is better than nothing, so this is how I am getting him back in shape–with Jessica’s walking workouts. Well, he actually struggled to get through one of Jessica’s 15 minute walks! It was one of her HIIT walks, but I thought if he followed Debbie he would have no problem. Not so! I almost lost him! But I convinced him Jessica had even easier walks. So next I dropped him down to Powered Up Walk from this collection. He did do a lot better but it still challenged him more than I expected it to. So the level of these workouts is really based on whether you do any form of exercise at all.

There is a timer in the bottom right hand corner of the screen counting down 10 minutes. However not all of the walks or the stretch are exactly 10 minutes; most are longer. Since the timer always counts down exactly 10 minutes, sometimes the walk has already started before the timer appears and sometimes the walk continues after the 10 minutes are up and the timer disappears. But never for more than a minute total. Except with the chair stretch. For the chair stretch 40 seconds pass before the timer appears and then after the timer disappears you continue stretching for more than a minute.

Jessica’s mother Debbie is there showing easier versions of the exercises and Jessica’s friend Raquel is there showing more advanced versions. It includes 2 premixes: All of the strength walks plus the chair stretch (40 minutes) and all the cardio walks (30 minutes). If using the premixes, Jessica recommends doing the 40 minute strength/stretch walk Monday, Wednesday and Friday and doing the 30 minute cardio walk on Tuesday and Thursday.

Powered Up Walk (10 minutes): This is a great little cardio walk. Nothing too intense even when you kick it up to a jog with Raquel. But it is a great add on to another workout or combine several of these 10 minute walks together–or use the premixes. As I mentioned above, this challenged my husband who is an absolute beginner. It did not challenge me and I am a more intermediate exerciser. But this was doable for him.

1. Step out wide then back in
2. Walk wide then just tap feet (legs remain wide); add swinging arms side to side
3. March in place; march forward and back (or jog); add pushing arms overhead
4. Side steps
5. Step step forward and back in a zig-zag pattern
6. Alternating low front kicks
7. Alternating low back kicks; add single arm reaches overhead, alternate arms
8. Side steps; add alternating front punch
9. Still side stepping but it turns into a bob and weave w/ arms in guard
10. Lateral skaters w/ alternating punch downs
11. Jab cross to side
12. Boxer shuffle w/ speed bag arms
13. Repeat #11 on other side of body
14. Repeat #12
15. Hamstring curls; add traveling forward and back
16. March in place; changes to low cross-over front kicks

Steppin’ Strength Walk (11 minutes; 1:45 warm up) Equipment: Dumbbells. I used 5, 8 and 13 pound dumbbells. Jessica and Raquel were using much lighter weights and Debbie used no weights. This was a great strength walk. I really enjoyed it and I felt the exercises, so it worked my muscles nicely. I used this as an add on to finish off another strength workout and it worked perfectly for that. This would also work perfectly in conjunction with the other strength walks on this DVD–and Jessica agrees because she created a premix doing just that–combining all 3 strength walks and finishing it with the stretch.

1. Bring arms/DBs out to sides, elbows against waist and DBs held out so arms create a “W”, push DBs out into a V then return to W while marching (overhead V press) (8# DBs)
2. Side steps while lowered into partial squat; changes to double side steps (still in partial squat) (8# DBs)
3. While marching in place, bring DBs in front of you w/ palms facing down, pull DBs back into a row while turning DBs so palms are facing ceiling (8# DBs)
4. Bring DBs together in front of chest and do alternating knee raises; add overhead press while keeping DBs pressed together (8# DBs)
5. While marching in place, hold DBs at sides w/ elbows bent, press DBs forward at chest level then bring them back to sides (5# DBs)
6. Pulsing stationary lunge (13# DBs)
7. Wide partial bicep curls while marching in place (8# DBs)
8. Tricep kickbacks while stepping forward and back (8# DBs)
9. Repeat 7 & 8
10. Hold DBs in front of you with straight arms and bring DBs behind you, keeping arms straight (straight arm tricep press backs) while marching (8# DBs)

Happy HIIT Walk (11 minutes) You march in place between every move. If you are following Raquel you jog in place between every move until the very end when you are cooling down. This was a more intense little walk–especially if you are following Raquel. I did follow Raquel for most everything, but marched rather than jogged between moves. I used this as a finisher for another cardio workout and this did a great job keeping the calorie burn going.

1. March or jog in place
2. Side steps; add jumping jack arms
3. Hamstring curl
4. Alternating heel digs
5. March in place or jog; add traveling forward and back
6. Wide march; turns onto boxer shuffle; add waving arms side to side overhead
7. Low jacks or full jumping jacks
8. Side steps; changes to lateral skaters w/ side to side arms
9. Side steps w/ jack arms or full jacks
10. Grapevines
11. Twister toe taps (little toe taps to the front while twisting hips) (or twisting hop)
12. Alternating knee lifts w/ figure 8 arms
13. Side steps; add elbow strikes to the side; changes to pulling elbows back; changes to lateral skaters (same arm movement)
14. March in place w/ legs wide; add squatting then straightening while lowering hands near floor then raising overhead
15. Squat pulses or squat jumps
16. Repeat #14
17. Fast squats while doing wide double arms circles
18. March in place
19. Heel digs
20. Alternating tap backs
21. March in place while taking deep breaths

Dance Walk (10 minutes): This is a low intensity walk. Easy, fun with some dancy moves. I never broke a sweat during this walk but that’s okay. I got my steps in, right?

1. Alternating front stomp (step forward and back in a dancy way)
2. Repeat #1 but do it at an angle (dancy V step)
3. Dancy march in place
4. Side steps; changes to double side step; add punching arms up and down (advanced move is jacking 2x to each side)
5. Side steps w/ claps; changes to double side steps still clapping
6. Hamstring curls w/ upright row arms; add traveling forward and back
7. Dancy step back behind other leg, alternate sides
8. Alternating knee raises; add clap beneath thigh; changes to single, single, double pattern
9. Dancy march in place; changes to traveling forward and back while waving arms overhead when marching forward and waving them low when marching back
10. Mambo step out to side
11. “Salsa” step back w/ a cha-cha-cha before alternating sides
12. Mambo step out to side w/ a cha-cha-cha before alternating sides
13. Repeat #9
14. Side steps w/ claps
15. Ends with the dancy march

Abs & Arms Walk (10:30 minutes; 1 minute warm up) Equipment: dumbbells. I used 6 and 8 pound dumbbells. Jessica and Raquel were using much lighter weights and Debbie used no weights. This is a great walk to finish off an upper or total body workout. Jessica doesn’t hit the back or chest but she does give your biceps, triceps and shoulders some nice work. With the right weights you will feel the burn! If you combine this with Step-in’ Strength Walk (above) your back and chest will get some work.

1. Hold DBs overhead, raise knee and bring opposite elbow to knee, alternate sides (6# DBs)
2. Straight arm front raises while marching in place (6# DBs)
3. Side steps w/ wide bicep curls (8# DBs)
4. Holding arms down straight at sides w/ palms facing behind you, do alternating knee lifts while pressing DBs behind you (8# DBs)
5. Side steps w/ tricep kickbacks (8# DBs)
6. Bow and arrow step back (hold DBs in front of you, palms facing down, step back w/ on foot while pulling same side arm back, bringing DB to shoulder, alternate sides) (8# DBs)
7. Repeat #1-4
8. (set one DB on floor so you are only holding one DB) Hold one DB in both hands, step side to side while chopping DB from shoulder to opposite hip (or from overhead to opposite hip) (one 8# DBs)
9. Still holding one DB in both hands, do single knee pull bringing DB from shoulder to opposite hip (one 8# DB)
10. Repeat 8 & 9 on other side of body

Buns & Thighs (10:30 minutes; 1:30 minute warm up) Equipment: dumbbells. I used a set of 10 pound dumbbells for everything. Jessica and Raquel were using much lighter weights and Debbie used no weights. Though I did really enjoy this workout, it is definitely not traditional lower body strength work. You really don’t need dumbbells at all but using them will increase the cardio intensity if you are using somewhat heavy ones.

1. Pulsing squat; add walking forward and back 4 steps while remaining in squat
2. Step side to side; add sweeping leg across other leg, insole raised toward ceiling (works the inner thigh)
3. Start doing a wide march then lower into squat while continuing to march; changes to alternating side leg raises while remaining in wide squat (DBs pressed against outside of thighs)
4. Step tap forward and back; add raising back leg when stepping forward (glute lift); add raising front knee when stepping back
5. Lower into a narrow lunge w/ most of your weight in front leg and pulse; changes a front kick with back leg then tap back
6. Lateral skater taps
7. Start in a curtsy lunge and squat while raising back leg off ground and when you raise up tap toe (but you never raise completely out of squat)
8. Pulsing wide plie squats

Chair Stretch (12 minutes). This is a nice and thorough stretch. Great to use after any of these walks or any other workout. Equipment: chair. It starts marching in place (slow march), taking deep breaths and reaching arms overhead. Standing cat & cow (hands on thighs, hinged forward). Standing quad stretch holding the chair for balance. Standing hamstring stretch (heel on floor, leg straight, hinged forward at the hips). In split stance w/ back leg straight w/ heel on floor and hips pressed forward. Downward facing dog with hands on seat of chair. Upward facing dog w/ hands on seat of chair. Seated pigeon (sit on edge of chair, ankle crossed over opposite knee, torso hinged forward). Legs are crossed w/ thighs together, do a spinal twist, looking over shoulder w/ back arm over back of chair and other arm pressed against knee to help you twist. With legs together, hinge forward, reaching hands toward feet; reach hand past opposite foot and raise other hand to ceiling, twisting spine. Still seated, open legs wide, and hinge forward, reaching hands to the floor, stretching inner thighs. Eagle arm pose. Sitting w/ legs together again, reach one arm behind back and grip the wrist w/ the other hand, pulling it to stretch the shoulder while dropping ear toward shoulder to stretch the neck. Shoulder circles. Wrist and forearm stretch.