We use walking every day for our
basic movements. We can gain health benefits from walking if we walk up to the
recommended 10,000 steps and above each day for exercise. This requires
discipline and planning. Follow the tips below to start walking for exercise.
Set
reasonable progress expectations
Start your walking exercise slow,
aiming for shorter distances. You can increase the distance and intensity as
you progress and as your fitness level increases. Writing down your goals and success
may serve as motivation to help you achieve your aim and monitor your success.
Find
a good location to walk
The best places to walk should have
a minimal traffic aside having a flat terrain and smooth surface. You can start
within your neighborhood but if it is not convenient you may look for another
location. You can use the high school nearest to you, go to sports centers and the
beach. If you prefer indoors you can use exercise equipment like a treadmill set to a slow speed to
walk.
Set
a reasonable time
Deciding on how many minutes you
walk will help you keep your focus. Don’t bother about how short the time and
distance is at first because they will definitely increase as you gain fitness
and your motivation increases. Do not break, keep moving until you reach your
set time.
Walking
is fun
You can make walking fun by
listening to music while you walk. Listen to music that motivates you. Walking should
be a way to have fun and unwind. However be careful not to get carried away and
lose focus.
Increase
your time, speed and intensity
After walking for some time now, it
is time for you to increase your walking time, speed, distance and intensity
for a greater achievement. Your fitness and stamina levels must have increased
by now and you expect to be going higher. It is noteworthy that at times you
cannot meet up to what you did the previous day, so do not lose sleep over it. Set
the goal and keep to it and you will be surprised how fast you will reach your
goal. After reaching your first set time, keep increasing your time slowly. Keep alternating
between low and high speed, reducing your rest period for higher and better
achievement. Remember you must exercise patience.
Your
mental attitude matters
Walking is a mild exercise that does
not require vigorous physical exertion. This means that you will likely be
cable physically to walk for long hours without tiring out, because you will not
get the same fatigue that results from a more vigorous exercise. Therefore don’t expect
to get a quick result from walking. You should develop the slow and steady wins
the race mental attitude.
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