If you're looking for a simple way to exercise, why not try walking?
You don't need great athletic skill, expensive sports equipment or
a fitness club membership to walk - just open your door, step out
and start! Research studies show that regular brisk walking can substantially
reduce a person's chances of getting heart disease and cancer. It
can also help control weight, blood pressure and blood sugar, and
when combined with adequate calcium intake, can also strengthen bones
and reduce the risk of fractures. If these benefits are not enough,
walkers have acknowledged that they experience a greater sense of
well-being and that they are able to fall asleep faster. Sounds good?
So, here's what you need to know:
Determine your objective before starting out. Do you want to
improve your cardio-vascular activity or do you want to get rid
of the extra fat around your waist and hip? Walking for the former,
if you are a heart patient, has to be done with the advice of
your doctor. If it is pace walking as an aerobic activity or for
weight reduction that you are looking at, you need to work towards
walking five days a week, for an hour. You need to walk longer
and faster, preferably on a hilly trail or on an incline. If you
are an indoor person, the treadmill will do.
Pick the time of day that is most suitable to you in the long
run. Earmark a specific time and stick to that time, making it
a part of your daily routine. Try not to vary the routine.
Chalk out your route and keep an eye on the time that you take.
After a month or so, you might have to increase the distance that
you walk Also keep in mind your natural inclinations - don't force
yourself to become an 'early-morning-fresh-air' person, when you're
not. You won't last out the month! Stick to the gym, at a more
reasonable hour, is my advice. Also bear in mind the weather -
getting wet and falling ill is NOT the aim of this exercise!
Select the right shoes. This is a must for any fitness program
that you are embarking on. Heavy, stiff shoes will not allow you
to walk freely and comfortably. Make sure that they are the right
size, or else your feet might swell up while walking.
Drink enough water before, during and after the walk. In fact,
ensure that you drink at least eight glasses a day. Water is good
for you!
Do not overdo anything. If you walk every day of the week,
as you progress, you might find yourself losing some of the enthusiasm
or you might feel irritable and tired. You might also have a body
ache. Rest for a day, gas up and then hit the road again. Don't
take too long a break, though - you might quit for good!
For safe walking, warm up and cool down periods are needed.
Begin and end the walk by breathing and stretching exercises and/or
reserve the first five and the last ten minutes for walking at
a slower pace.
Be aware of signs of over exertion. These include laboured
breathing, excessive sweating, irregular or failing heartbeat,
blueness in the lips or fingers, chest pain, nausea, or lack of
co-ordination. If you do, stop and rest. If the symptoms persist,
seek immediate medical attention. If you are a heart patient or
a person coping with some other sickness, it is advisable to have
a walking companion.
So, consider my suggestion and try walking - the more you walk, the
more you burn!
7:08:55 PM 
