Begin a Walking Program :: Creative Home :: Natural Beauty, Health, Homemaking, Gardening

Here's how to increase your physical activity to a healthy level, beginning with a simple walk around the block.

Why Physical Activity is Important for You

Your body is designed to move and it's surprising how little time it takes to stay healthy and reduce the risk of disease if you are physically active, regularly.

Consider this: you're awake about 15-19 hours a day, but you only have to be active for ONE HOUR and that 60 minutes of activity doesn't have to be done all at once. You can add up your activities, 10 minutes at a time, to get that daily total. It's easy to take a first step and that counts as progress when you're getting started.

Add up your activities during the day in periods of at least 10 minutes each. Start slowly...and build up! If you are already doing some light activities, move up to more moderate ones. A little is good, but more is even better, if you want to achieve health benefits. Use the chart below to help you gauge the difference between light, moderate and maximum physical activity.

Build Physical Activity Into Your Daily Life
People need to be active to be healthy. Our modern sedentary lifestyle is dangerous for our health. Sitting around in front of the TV or the computer, riding in the car for even a short trip to the store and using elevators instead of stairs or ramps all contribute to our inactivity. Physical inactivity is as dangerous to our health as smoking!

warmup (2K)

What's the goal?
Scientists say accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity every day to stay healthy or improve your health. Time needed depends on effort - as you progress to moderate activities, you can cut down to 30 minutes, 4 days a week.

Physical activity doesn't have to be very hard to improve your health. This goal can be reached by building physical activities into your daily routine. Just add it up in periods of at least 10 minutes each throughout the day. After three months of regular physical activity, you will notice a difference -people often say getting started is the hardest part.

Time needed depends on effort
Very Light Effort	Light Effort 60 minutes	Moderate Effort 30-60 min.	VigorousEffort	Maximum Effort
Strolling Dusting	Light walking Volleyball Easy Gardening Stretching	Brisk Walking Biking Raking leaves Swimming Dancing Water aerobics	Aerobics Jogging Hockey Basketball Fast swimming Fast Dancing	Sprinting Racting
	How does it feel? How Warm am I? What is my breathing like?
No change from rest state Normal Breathing	Starting to feel warm Slight increase in breathing rate	Warmer Greater increase in breathing rate	Quite warm More out of breath	Very hot/perspiring heavily Completely out of breath
	Range needed to stay healthy

Benefits of regular activity:	Health risks of inactivity:
better health	premature death
improved fitness	heart disease
better posture and balance	obesity
better self-esteem	high blood pressure
weight control	adult-onset diabetes
stronger muscles and bones	osteoporosis
feeling more energetic	stroke
relaxation and reduced stress	depression
continued independent living in later life	colon cancer

Consider adding activity - more time, more effort, more often. If you are already regularly active, you can still benefit by adding activity. Generally, the more active you are, the more benefits you will get.

If you have an illness that you think may prevent you becoming more active than you are now, take the Physical Fitness Readiness Questionnaire provided by Health Canada.

Remember, the information provided here is general in nature and is not intended to replace medical advice. Consult a doctor before starting an active exercise program.

Source: Health Canada

You can begin your physical activity program simply by walking around the block. Here, author Michael Brooks "walks" you through the first steps to healthy exercise.

How to Start a Walking Program

Did you know that walking is the number one participation sport in the world? Walking is one of the best things you can do for overall health and wellness. When you walk you use more muscles than any other sport. In fact, walking uses almost all of the 650 muscles and 203 bones found in the human body. So what are you waiting for?

There is not much involved in starting a walking program. You can start immediately and you don't need a coach to teach you how to walk. The equipment required to start is minimal and relatively inexpensive.

Important Equipment:

The most important piece of equipment you will need is a good pair of walking or running shoe. Most shoe stores and sporting goods stores should be able to supply you with a good selection. You can also check out some of the online stores, you will find some good sources at DrLeonards.com or FootSmart.com. You may also want to think about getting yourself a pedometer. Pedometers are handy little gadgets that can measure your distance and time and help you keep track of your progress.

Why am I walking?

Now that you have your equipment and are ready to go, it might be nice to know why you are starting a walking program. The health benefits of walking are many and include the following:

How should I start Walking?

Since walking uses almost all 650 of your muscles it is a very good idea to warm up before you begin a walk. This will loosen up your body and help to avoid injury.

How long should I walk?

You should build up to walking for about one hour. Your current fitness level will determine the length and time of your first walk. Some people will only be able to walk around the block, others will able to walk the full hour. Do what you feel comfortable with and build from that point. Keep a log to measure your progress. As you become fitter, increase the pace and distance.

Personally, I like to measure my walks in distance. A pedometer will be of great assistance. Measuring your walk in distance helps to compensate for days when you might walk a little slower or faster. After your first few walks try to achieve a brisk pace where you may be puffing a little but you can still talk. Remember, there is not much difference in the amount of energy (calories) expended by walking or running a specified distance.

After you have finished your walk don't forget to cool down. Try to spend about 5 minutes walking slowly. This will allow your heart, lungs and blood flow to return to normal gradually. This decreases strain on your heart and can help to prevent muscle strain and soreness.

JUST DO IT!!!

Hey, you've seen the commercials. Now you just have to commit yourself to walking on a regular schedule. Make it part of your routine just like brushing your teeth. It's easy to do and doesn't require special training or equipment. Just do it!

About the Author:

Mike Brooks has been a life long follower and proponent of the fitness lifestyle. Through his avid research, Mr. Brooks has come to the realization that being healthy is a choice and encompasses not only proper diet but also a fitness regimen that includes the mind, body and soul.
Mike Brooks is the publisher and editor-in-chief for the health information site http://www.ultimatehealthreport.com