Walking is a great choice of exercise, especially if you'd like to lose weight. You can perform it outside when the weather is nice, making for a very pleasant workout, or on a treadmill during inclement weather and have the advantage of being able to control the grade to gradually make your workout more challenging. You can use a pedometer to monitor your progress as they have become very sophisticated in recent years. My favorite pedometer is the SportBrain pedometer.

Guidelines for Starting a Walking Program

• Walk a minimum of five times a week.
• Select the duration of your walking sessions based on the number of minutes that you can continuously walk (between 10 and 30 minutes).
• Walk at an intensity whereby you can speak but your breathing is noticeably elevated.
• Try to increase your walking time by at least two minutes each week.

Proper Technique
See what you should look like walking! Improve your technique with a printable chart.

To properly perform the technique of power walking, be sure to use good posture: Keep your chin up and look straight out in front of you; be sure your shoulders are pulled up and back. Keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and swing them with your fists coming up to shoulder level before swinging back down. If you power walk consistently, your pace should get faster the more you do it. Try to increase your walk time by at least two minutes each week. Your cardiovascular system will be getting stronger and your metabolism will be revving up. And here’s a little secret: As your pace gets faster, your percentage of body fat is decreasing. Below is a sample walking plan and progression. Please note that anyone starting an exercise program or modifying an existing exercise program should consult their physician.

Your Walking Calendar
Keep track of your monthly progress! Print out a walking calendar so you can measure how you are improving. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the chart and calendar. Download it here.