If you haven’t exercised in a while, or are looking for something easy you can do every single day give walking a try. It’s the perfect low impact way to exercise. It’s easy to do, you don’t need any special equipment and you can start at the fitness level you’re at.
If you’re not in the best of shape, start by going for a 10 or 15-minute walk around the neighborhood and work your way up from there. If you’re already in great shape, walking can still provide an effective workout. Walk fast and incorporate some hills and even stairs, you can even add some hand weights to your walk.
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. If you’re like most of us, chances are you haven’t exercised much since you got out of college and need to start small. Maybe your doctor suggested that you move around more, or maybe you just want to be proactive about your health and well-being. In either case, walking is the perfect way to start.
Find a pair of comfortable shoes. Folks, that isn’t always an easy thing to do. I think I tried at least 4 pairs of shoes until I found the right ones. Mind you these were the shoes my daughter told me to get to begin with- should have listened to her. Put your shoes on and go for a stroll through your neighborhood. You could also find a local park with a nice path you can walk on. There is a nice paved greenway that is my go-to. If the weather doesn’t permit walking outside, head to your local mall and walk or hop on a treadmill ( seriously hate the treadmill- so I always bring my laptop in there and watch something while I am walking.
You can even walk in place at home in front of your TV. Here’s a simple little idea to get you moving more. As you’re sitting on the couch at night watching TV, get up during commercial breaks and march in place until your favorite TV show comes back on. If you’re using a service like Netflix, make yourself walk in place for 10 minutes in between episodes. Or turn on the TV and challenge yourself to march in place during the entire show. Time will fly while you’re having fun watching TV and moving. Also, I love my Fitbit it makes me get up and move at least 250 steps an hour. It totally keeps me on track.
Speaking of having fun, going for a walk outside is fun. Mix up your route and walk in different areas of town, or visit different parks. Invite a friend to come along with you to walk. It’s always nice to have someone to talk to and having a walking buddy keeps you accountable. Last but not least, grab your phone or MP3 player and listen to music or podcasts as you walk to make the time go by faster.
The main thing is that you get out there, move around, and get some exercise in a way that’s gentle on your joints, your heart, and the rest of your body and that’s what walking will do for you. Just give it a try and see if you don’t start to feel better, happier, and stronger after a few weeks of regular walks.
