How to Start Walking for Exercise

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Walking is an exercise that can be accomplished by almost anyone. This article describes how to start a walking program.

1. Set your expectations reasonably. If you have been sedentary for a long period of time, you will want to start out slow and go only a short distance.
2. Find a good place to walk. Many times you can just walk around your block, but what do you do if the terrain is too steep, curvy, or just isn't what you're looking for? There are some easy solutions. You can go to your nearest high school; many schools allow town residents to walk the track when not being used. Take your car to a park if it's too far away to walk; parks are often flat and very peaceful.
3. Pick an easy first walk. Make sure that no matter how far you get from your starting point, you are able to get back there. Walking on an oval track no more than a quarter mile around should be perfect.
4. Pay no attention to how far you walk. It matters more that you walk for a longer period of time. Faster and farther walks will come later.
5. Set a time. When you first start walking, decide how many minutes you will walk. Choose a length of time you know you can make. Do not worry about how short that period is. Just keep moving until you reach it. 2-5 minutes each day is a good start. That time will increase from week to week.
6. Increase your time. Each walk, increase your walking time by thirty seconds to one minute until you are able to sustain a 10 minute walk. Again, do not fret if you can't go longer than the day before. Set the goal and keep at it and you will reach it faster than you think. After reaching 10 minutes, the increases may take a bit longer; however, try to increase your time by 5 minutes each week.
7. 
   Work on speed and difficulty. After you are able to walk 45 minutes a day, you can work on speed and difficulty. Try moving off of the oval and onto the city streets: You will encounter hills and declines, and that will increase the difficulty of your walk.
8. Determine your target and maximum heart rate. See "How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate". If you are under your target heart rate (THR), you need to increase walking speed for it to be beneficial; if you are above your THR, decrease your walking speed. Again, weight loss and aerobic health will come through sustained effort, not through increased speed or distance.
9. Try interval training. Walk at an increased rate for one to two minutes, then slow back to your normal rate for two minutes. Every day or two add an interval until you reach your desired total time, including rest periods. As you become more physically fit, reduce your rest periods until they are down to a minute or less.