by Julie Reynolds

Created on: July 10, 2010   Last Updated: July 11, 2010

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise there is, because it's so easy to do, and it doesn't cost much money.  Actually, most doctors will recommend this to their patients as a good exercise.  My doctor suggested it to me a very long time ago, and I didn't listen, until about a year ago.

One thing I would urge you to do before you start any exercise program would be to talk to your doctor about what is best for you.  You should always take into consideration the condition of your heart, and your eating habits before you start exercising.  So please see your doctor first.

After that talk with your doctor, you should look into a very good pair of walking shoes.  You should always have good support for your feet when you walk for any distance.  If you don't have the proper footwear, you could injure yourself, or pull a muscle enough to make it so that you can't walk.  So a good pair of walking shoes with good support for your feet is very important.

When you have those good walking shoes on then you can start your walking program.  It is important to remember that you may not be able to start right out walking 3 or 4 miles on the first day that you go out to walk.  Don't even try it.  When I first started out I could only handle the half mile around my block.  I started with the half mile, and then after a week or so I added more onto the walk.  I eventually got to the point where I am now walking 3.5 miles every time I walk.  Start out slow, and work your way up to what you want to be doing.  Many people try to start out with 3 miles a day, and give up because it's too much for them.

The Basics:  You should always have some sort of warm up before you start your walk.  Stretch out your muscles a little, and get them ready for work.  When you get out on the road, start at a slower pace to get your leg muscles ready for the work they will be doing.  Gradually increase your speed to a brisk walk.  Make your heart work a little bit.  Walking was meant to be aerobic.  When you get near the end of your walk you should always slow your pace again to the pace you used at the beginning of your walk.  It helps your heart and leg muscles cool down, and be ready to stop working.  When you are finished with your walk you should always stretch you leg muscles out again.  That makes it so that you don't have

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