walk the walk

Walk the line, walk a mile in someone’s shoes, walk in the park, walk this way – just start walking.

Walking isn’t such a difficult thing – most of us have been doing it since we were very young. But starting and maintaining a regular walking program can be daunting, even though the benefits have been well documented.

Walking programs can be very effective in helping people get into shape, improve their cardiovascular fitness levels and, to some degree, lose weight. One very important benefit is that people tend to stick with walking programs. Many exercise professionals report that walking programs tend to be easier for people starting to exercise and may be why they are more easily entertained.

Here are five tips for starting a walking program:

1. Find a buddy with whom you can walk regularly. A friend can encourage you to walk on days when you aren’t motivated and can help you continue walking at a good pace.

2. Use a pedometer. This will help you keep track of your steps and can be an excellent motivator. Walking coaches say this is often the most important thing you can do. Pedometers help you see how much you’re walking and see when you’re successful.

3. Schedule regular walks in a PDA or calendar. This helps to ensure that you have a set time every day for walking,

4. If you have chronic medical problems such as heart disease or diabetes, check with your doctor to make sure a walking program is safe for you.

5. Start slowly if you need to – just get started. Somewhere between three and four miles an hour should be your goal, but if you have to work up to that gradually, it’s better to walk slowly than to do nothing.

Seven health benefits of walking:

• Improvement of cardiovascular function and possibly a reduction in the chances of having a heart attack

• Potential weight loss or weight control

• Reduction in blood pressure

• Has been found to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of depression

• Has a positive impact on the health of people with diabetes

• Helps build endurance and muscle strength

• Helps build and maintain bones and muscles

Choosing a Pedometer

There are many different pedometers you can choose from. They range in price from a few dollars on up to triple digits. Do some internet research before you buy to determine what will be best for you. The top choices perform a variety of functions, from normal step counting to stats such as distance, burned calories, speed, elapsed time, and steps per minute. Some actually upload your data to your PC to analyze your walking activity in greater detail.

Your goal is to walk 10,000 steps per day. By wearing a pedometer you help yourself achieve this goal by aggressive monitoring of your effort. Try to increase your step count by about 2000 per day towards achieving the goal.

Here are the Top 10 pedometers as selected by About.com:

1) Omron HJ-112 Pedometer

2) Yamax® Digi-Walker™ SW-200 Pedometer

3) Yamax® Digi-Walker™ 701 Pedometer

4) Sportline Fitness Pedometer 360

5) Sportline 345 Pedometer

6) Sportline Pedometer 330

7) New-Lifestyles NL-2000 Pedometer

8) Walk4Life LS 2525 Pedometer

9) Freestyle Pacer Pro Pedometer

10) Sportline Talking Pedometer.