Walk Fit Level II

I purchased the MP3 version of this program. It also can be purchased on CD. The tracks include:

1. Intro - 1:09 minutes: This track contains the welcome from Candace and some tips (i.e. have appropriate shoes, water, etc.).

2. Warm up and steady walk - 8:18 minutes: The warm up starts out at approx 116 BPM and increases to approx 132 BPM by the end of the first steady state walk. Here, Candace gives form pointers and describes the challenge ahead.

3. Challenge 1 - 9:57 minutes. During this track there are four 60-second intervals at approx 140 BPM followed by a 60 second recovery. The intervals and recovery phases are the same 140 BPM, but the music crescendos getting louder and more intense during the interval and becoming softer during the recovery. Candace instructs you to walk below the beat during the recovery, if necessary.

4. Steady State - 7:12 minutes: Candace does not talk much during this track explaining that the music is among her favorite pieces. I enjoy the music here very much - it features some nice acoustic guitar playing. Very enjoyable! Candace reappears two minutes before the song ends to explain the next interval track. This track is approx 128-130 BPM.

5. Challenge 2- 16:38 minutes: This track features 4 progressive interval segments. This time, the first interval is 1 minute with a 1 minute recovery. The second is 2 minutes followed by a two minute recovery, the third is three minutes followed by a three minute recovery and the last is four minutes. The BPM for the intervals is approx 142 BPM. Again, the intervals and recovery phases are the same 142 BPM with appropriate changes in the music.

6. Cool down - 5:23 minutes: Approx 116 BPM. Candace motivates and encourages throughout this track.

Overall, this is a very nice program. The instrumental music is quite pleasant. Candace’s coaching throughout is just right; she gave encouragement and form pointers as appropriate. She does not talk too much, is not too animated, too goofy, etc.

Generally speaking, the BPM during the steady state and the challenges were a bit slower than I am accustomed to; for example, it is on par with Kathy Smith’s Lean Walk 2 (which is 120-140 BPM), but not as intense as Kathy Smith’s Lean Walk 3 (which is 138 - 160 BPM). I can easily compensate for the slower BPM by increasing my stride length. Adjusting my stride to increase or decrease the intensity keeps my heart in the zone that’s right for me, and makes this workout challenging and enjoyable. The BPMs noted are approximations based on my metronome, which only provides BPMs in increments of three or six.

One thing I did not like was the fact there are breaks between tracks. The music is not continuous, and the breaks are about 5 seconds or so - long enough to be noticeable but not long enough to be problematic. Also, I wish the program were longer. It clocks in at around 45 minutes from warm-up to cool-down.