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 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking, bicycling, or yard work) 5 days a week or more.1 Being active in several chunks of 10 minutes or more throughout the day can count toward this recommendation.
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: | Marianne Flagg | Last Updated: February 29, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator Heather Chambliss, PhD - Exercise Science/Weight Management | |
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