A Beginner's Guide to Walking for Exercise

Just about every doctor I've talked to says that walking is about the healthiest activity you can do except for swimming. Fortunately, I have the luxury of belonging to a University athletic program that has great facilities for both and a heated pool in the winter. But many people either can't afford to belong to a club or program and they have a huge difficulty in getting motivated. It may seem facile to write a short guide to walking, because anyone can walk, right? Well, yes and no. Anyone can walk if they're in normal health, but do they actually do it regularly? The answer is oftentimes a resounding, "NO." Walking briskly exercises your joints, strengthens bones and back, and it has a decided effect on lowering blood pressure and building stamina and overall strength.

After my hip replacement surgery I could walk only short distances for about four weeks. After that time I still had to force myself to get out the front door and go to the park across the street and take a brisk stroll two or three times around the outer periphery of the grounds. I don't think I really walked more than about a mile and a half at any time. I had just gotten out of the habit I had so carefully cultivated before all my hip problems. I had to begin getting back into them if I wanted to feel like my old self and begin loosing some of the weight I had put on around my middle from sheer inertia. The basics I'll be laying out are not to be done in exactly the order listed. They're all important. It doesn't matter that you purchase a pedometer first or get up a walking group first. The important thing is to commit to a routine and stick to it almost religiously.