The best thing about fitness walking, there are no age limits. You can benefit from walking at any time in your life. You can use fitness walking to get in shape and make yourself feel better. You can use fitness walking to maintain your fitness level, to lose weight, to burn fat, and for general health benefits.
If you are thinking of starting a fitness walking program, and you do not exercise, you should start out very slow. If you are going to walk outside, walk 10 minutes from your house, turn around and walk back. Do that for a week. If you feel comfortable, add 5 more minutes each way, for the next week.
For week 3, add 5 more minutes each way. When you feel comfortable, add more time. Work up to going 30 minutes from house and then back. When you get to the point where you can walk for 60 minutes per day, you will feel much better, and will be losing weight. As you start to increase speed, keep your stride short to avoid shin splints.
Use a heart rate monitor to monitor your heart rate. You can tell your getting healthier by your heart rate. As you get in better shape, you will have to work harder to get your heart rate into the target zone.
For weight loss, your fitness walking should be done at a brisk pace for 50 to 60 minutes, 5 to 6 days per week. Any amount that you do will help lose weight, to get the most benefit you need to walk consistently almost every day.
To maintain your current fitness and weight level. You should do fitness walking for 30 minutes at least 4 times per week. Walk at a fast enough pace to get your heart rate into the target zone. Diet and weight training need to be part of this routine as well.
Safety is a big concern when fitness walking outdoors. Do not use headphones when you are fitness walking outdoors. It is very dangerous. You can't hear cars or trains, or even people. You want to get healthy but you don't want to endanger yourself. Get a radio that you can use without headphones. If you are fitness walking inside, for sure use music to help your workout. If will help you considerably.
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