What are some tips for starting to walk for exercise?

Before starting any new fitness program, be sure to check with your doctor. Including Fido as your walking buddy will make walks more enjoyable and increase the likelihood that you’ll stick to your walking program. Here are a few tips for success:

• Plan to walk at least five days per week.
• Measure your walks in time rather than distance. Start out walking 10
         minutes per walk. Every few days increase the number of times
         you walk each day. You can also add in longer walks. Aim for a
         total of 30 minutes of walking with Fido daily.
• Walk at a good pace. You should still be able to comfortably chat
         while walking. If you can sing while you walk, try picking up the
         pace. If you are too winded to talk, slow down.
• Carry water for you and Fido and take drink breaks during your walks.
• Try to walk during the cooler parts of the day.
• Make walking fun -- vary your routes, speed, and even consider
         adding in a few skips and hops along the way!

It is important to make sure you are fit to exercise before you start a program.  Meet with your doctor and find out how much you can push yourself.  Buy shoes that fit you well and are made for walking. Then, get started. It might make sense to meet with a trainer to get some good stretching and warm-up exercises.  Those who warm up before exercise are less likely to become injured.

A trainer can also help you to pace yourself. One of the best ways to fail at an exercise program is to start out by overdoing it. I suggest that you start out slow and start with short distances.  Once you feel comfortable then you can increase your time and distance.

Many years ago I interviewed a female patient who had been over 300 pounds. Her husband left her for another woman and she was filled with anguish. She decided to start walking.  She began with five minutes a day. Every day she increased her walk by five minutes.  After about a month she was walking over a mile a day and noticed she had lost 15 pounds and that she was feeling better. She kept on going.  After two years she had lost over 150 pounds and she looked and felt great.  She attributed most of her weight loss to her exercise. (Ironically her ex-husband and his girlfriend gained the 150 pounds that she lost!)

The bottom line: Start your exercise and walking program by being safe and sensible!

 

Before starting any exercise routine get checked out by your family physician.  Make sure you have a pair of comfortable, supportive athletic shoes. Comfortable, visible clothing is important. It is always a fun idea to workout with a partner so find a walking partner to keep you committed to your program. Choose a route, drive it first and get a mileage count that way you can track your progress and find your way home. Make sure you have a water bottle or some type of hydration pack to take along. Get up, get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

Prior to starting any form of exercise, be sure to set a goal. If your goal is as simple as “I am going to start walking to get active and be healthy” then that is a wonderful goal! If we do not set ourselves up for success then we will fail.

Some tips:

• Start and walking log and walking calendar. These will allow you to log you steps/miles and track/monitor your progress
• Have comfortable walking shoes
• Stretch before and after
• Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day
• Eat well balanced meals to keep energy levels up

HAVE FUN!!

Before you start walking for exercise, be sure to stretch your legs and upper body in addition to your feet. Then hit the road -- starting out slowly if it's the first time you've exercised in a while. Aim for 20 minutes three times a week, walking at a comfortable pace. If that's too strenuous, try walking for 10 to 15 minutes. Gradually, pick up the pace so that after five to 10 minutes you can still talk but are breathing more heavily than usual. At this point, you are achieving aerobic benefits. Here are some other hints to make your walk more pleasant and to protect your feet:

• Make sure your shoes provide enough support but allow your feet to "breathe."
• Walk with your head up and your back straight.
• You may swing your arms freely. If your fingertips tend to swell after a while, bend your arms at the elbow and swing your elbows gently at waist level, keeping your shoulders and arms relaxed.
• Start on level ground; work up to hills later.
• After walking, take time to cool down. You can do so with stretching exercises or, if you've been walking briskly, by walking at a slower pace.