Fitness: Walking for wellness
Introduction
Walking is one of the easiest ways to get the exercise you need to stay healthy.
Experts recommend at least 2½ hours of moderate activity (such as brisk walking, brisk cycling, or yard work) a week.1 It's fine to walk in spurts of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week.
Key points
- Before you start, talk with your doctor to make sure it's okay for you to begin a walking program.
- Start with a short-term goal. For example, walk for 5 or 10 minutes every day. Or increase your number of steps by 300 to 500 each day.
- After you've made walking a habit, set a longer-term goal. You may want to set a goal of walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day or work up to 10,000 steps a day. You can try to do this 5 days a week or more.
- You can wear a pedometer to track your steps each day.
- To stay motivated, find a walking partner, such as a family member, friend, or coworker. Daily dog walks are also a great way to keep up your walking routine.
What do you need to know to start a walking program?
Why walk for wellness?
How can you make a walking program part of your life?
Where to go from here
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| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: August 26, 2008 |
| Medical Review: |
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Heather Chambliss, PhD - Exercise Science/Weight Management |
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