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Walk your way to being well


Walking might just be the best activity there is. It's easy and convenient. You can do it anywhere – around your neighbourhood, at work, at the mall, or even on a treadmill. And the only special equipment you need is a good pair of walking shoes.

Aerobic walking workouts exercise your heart, lower your blood pressure, and generally strengthen your cardiovascular system. It can help reduce bad cholesterol and help increase good cholesterol.

Regular brisk walking also strengthens your hips, thighs, buttocks and calves, and it tones your arms and your upper torso. It's a defense against osteoporosis and can help improve the body's management of sugar, which is good news for diabetics.

It increases your metabolism, your energy and your stamina, and it helps to counteract stress and depression.

And if you walk just 15 minutes a day and keep your calorie intake at your current level, you can burn a couple of thousand of extra calories in a month – and the more purposefully you walk, the more you'll burn.

Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Good walking shoes that fit are important. Running shoes are also fine if they fit better, but avoid cross-trainers. You should be able to twist the shoes, to check that the shoes can accommodate a rolling heel-to-toe motion. Also, give your big toe a thumb's width of distance to the end of the shoe, and be sure the sole is wider than your foot when you stand.
  • Socks for walking: Instead of 100% cotton, which holds moisture, get a synthetic blend that will draw perspiration away from your feet. Most sporting goods stores will have walking socks of this material with extra padding in the bottom for comfort.
  • How to step: put your heel down first, rock forward, then push off with your toes. Keep your back straight, pull your tummy in, and swing your arms along with your feet. Step short and fast and maintain a steady pace for the best cardiovascular workout.

Other walking tips

Drink a glass of water before you leave and another when you come back. If it's warm out, take a sports bottle along. And you may want to take along a high-energy or fruit snack, too.

Avoid using handheld weights or ankle weights. They can affect your gait and cause muscle strain or injury.

Pay attention to aches and pains. If you feel pain in your legs, back, or elsewhere while walking, stop. Correct your form, do more warm-up stretches, or change your shoes to see if that helps. If problems continue, you should see your doctor.

Set your walking speed:

Of course you burn more calories the faster you walk, but if you're just getting started it's important to not start too fast. That’s how injuries happen.

  • Strolling means about five kilometres an hour, arms swinging in a relaxed way – a good speed for window-shopping.
  • A brisk walk goes at about six kilometres an hour with arms bent and energetically swinging – not so fast that you can't carry on a conversation comfortably.
  • Race walking means about eight kilometres an hour with arms bent 90 degrees and pumping.

Do you want to figure out how fast you're walking? You can buy a pedometer, or calculate it yourself in a few simple steps with a calculator, a piece of paper, a pencil and a stopwatch:

  • Assume your stride is a metre, which is about the average stride a person takes.
  • Start your stopwatch, and count how many steps you take in 1 minute at the pace you normally walk.
  • Multiply the number of steps you take in 1 minute by 6. For example, if you take 96 steps in 1 minute, 96 x 6 = 576.
  • Divide that number by 100, for example, 576 ÷ 100 = 5.76
  • That's your estimated speed in kilometres per hour. In this example, you walk an average of 5.7 kilometres an hour.

Once you have this number, you can also figure out how far you walk based on the amount of time you walk. In this example, if you walk for a full hour, you'll have walked 5.7 kilometres. If you go for half an hour, you will have gone 2.8 kilometres.

How much should you walk?

Thirty minutes a day, five or six days a week, is good, and an hour a day is even better. But remember, you should start gradually. Begin at 15 minutes a day, three or four days a week. And don't feel you have to do all the time at once.

There will be days when the weather's lousy, when you don't feel like going, or when there's just no time. And sometimes those days come in bunches. How do you develop consistency, to make walking one of your life's good habits?

Making walking fun

Choose interesting places to walk. Walk at different times of day. If it's too cold outside, or too hot, go to the mall for your walk – many malls open early just for walkers.

If you never have enough time to chat, rope in friends and family to come along on your walks. Get together a regular group; you can reinforce and encourage one another and celebrate as you each get fit.

On the other hand, if you crave having more time to yourself, then make walking your own quality time. Listen to music or meditate.

Common sense safety tips for walking

  • Before undertaking any program of activity, it makes sense to check with your doctor.
  • If you walk along roads, walk facing the traffic. If you walk at night, wear reflective clothing. And if you wear headphones, stay alert. Make sure you can still hear sounds around you.
  • Don't go too fast or for too long, too soon. Overexertion is the primary cause of both injuries and discouragement.
  • Don't walk alone at night.
  • If you're feeling sore, take a few days off. If the pain persists, see your doctor.