WALKING
101
Walking is one of the
easiest fitness programs to begin!
All you need is a good pair of shoes,
comfortable clothing and most importantly,
a desire to be more fit.
As I mentioned, it’s easy. All
you need to do is walk out your door.
And you’re on your way!
Anyone can do it, just walk out
for 10 minutes and walk back. “That’s
it?” You might ask. Yes, that’s
it! That’s all there is to it.
You will want to start out your workout
program slowly. So do this every week
for one week.
Once you've been walking a week, if
this is easy for you, consider adding
five minutes to your walks for week
two (you’ll be walking for 25 minutes
now). Then keep adding five minutes
until you are walking as long as you
like.
Make sure you watch your posture. Stand
tall, walk tall. Hold your head up and
keep your eyes forward. This helps you
watch where you are walking. Your shoulders
should be down, back and relaxed. Tighten
your abdominals and buttocks. Walk with
a stride that is comfortable for you.
Be sure that you drink lots of water
before, during and after walking. Incorporate
a warm up, cool down and stretches into
your program.
You should start out slow and easy
to get your muscles warmed up. You
should stop and do a few warm up stretches.
You can increase your pace in the middle
of your workout and then slow down again
on your return to cool down your muscles.
Again, when you are finished, you
should stretch. Stretching will
make you feel great and help prevent
injury.
You should walk fast enough to reach
your target heart rate. This should
not cause you to be gasping for air.
Now let’s talk about the hardest
thing about starting a fitness program
– developing a habit. If you’ll
commit to walking five days a week,
that will help you stay in a routine.
It will become second nature for you
to go for a walk.
So what are you waiting for? Just walk
out your door!!
After you’ve formed the habit
of walking, you will want to evaluate
your program and goals.
If you are new to walking, start
off with slow, short walks and build
the time you walk up gradually. If you
have any health concerns or medical
conditions, be sure to check with your
doctor for advice before you begin any
fitness program.
If you are walking just for general
health benefits, walk 30 minutes
a day, most days of the week at a pace
you can carry on a conversation.
If you are walking to lose weight,
you should walk a minimum of 5 days
a week, for 45 to 60 minutes at a pace
a little faster than walking for general
health benefits.
To
learn more about Losing Weight, Click
Here
If you are walking to improve cardiovascular
fitness, walk 3 to 4 days a week,
20 to 30 minutes at a very fast pace.
You should be breathing hard but not
that hard that you are gasping for air.
Here's a beginner walking schedule
to get you to walking for 60 minutes
in 12 weeks.
12-Week Beginner
Walking Schedule
(time in minutes)
| |
Sun |
Mon |
Tues |
Wed |
Thurs |
Fri |
Sat |
| Week 1 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
15 |
20 |
15 |
20 |
| Week 2 |
15 |
20 |
20 |
15 |
20 |
15 |
25 |
| Week 3 |
15 |
25 |
20 |
15 |
25 |
20 |
25 |
| Week 4 |
20 |
30 |
20 |
20 |
25 |
20 |
30 |
| Week 5 |
20 |
30 |
30 |
20 |
30 |
20 |
35 |
| Week 6 |
25 |
30 |
30 |
25 |
30 |
25 |
40 |
| Week 7 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
40 |
| Week 8 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
30 |
40 |
30 |
50 |
| Week 9 |
30 |
40 |
40 |
30 |
40 |
40 |
50 |
| Week 10 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
30 |
50 |
40 |
50 |
| Week 11 |
40 |
40 |
50 |
40 |
50 |
40 |
50 |
| Week 12 |
40 |
40 |
60 |
40 |
60 |
40 |
60 |
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