Starting a Walking Program – Watch Where You Park Your Car

Naturally, any exercise you do will depend on your health. If you have heart conditions, diabetes, osteoporosis, or other serious health issues, you’ll want to check with your doctor to determine how active you should become and how to measure your activity level and possible signs of stress. However, most doctors would be happy to see their patients engaged in some form of exercise. Walking is the type of exercise that almost anyone can do safely. There are different levels of walking programs and in this article we will look at a good basic entry level program.

First let me warn you to make sure you don’t fall into the trap of thinking that simply walking can’t help you regain your health or lose weight. Although it is a very simple exercise in its basic form, it can be one of the best

Ways to Get Healthy Basic walking is what most of us do every day. Walking to the mailbox, walking from the car to the store. These rides are usually too short to offer much benefit. But once you realize you’re already walking, you just need to decide to make those walks last longer. Start by parking further away from the store entrance first. Have you noticed that those who seem to need the most exercise always seem to park closer to the entrance?

A good goal to start with is to try to walk at least 6 days a week and 30 to 60 minutes a day. Much of this can be accomplished simply by using your feet for short trips instead of the car. If you haven’t exercised for a long time or your lifestyle has been very inactive, start slowly. Don’t try too hard. Start with ten-minute walks if you feel tired or out of breath easily. Take 3 or more 10-minute walks a day until you develop the stamina to walk a full 30 minutes at a time.

Do some research and learn how to monitor your heart rate while walking. Strive for an average 1-mile walk in 17 to 24 minutes. Using your car’s odometer, mark 3 or 4 different one-mile areas in your neighborhood. You can then check your time as you walk through these areas to see how you’re progressing. Variety in the areas you walk through will limit boredom. Walking in city parks and other pleasant areas is enjoyable, however, it’s easy to make an excuse not to walk if for some reason you can’t get to your favorite area.

If you can walk out your front door and be in your normal exercise area, it will be harder for you to make excuses. Remember that walking like any exercise depends on repeatability. It must be done on a regular basis to be of value.