Health and Fitness: Walking for wellness

Introduction

Experts advise doing either of these things to get and stay healthy:¹

Do moderate activity for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week or more. Moderate activity is equal to a brisk walk, cycling about 10 to 12 miles per hour (mph), sailing, or shooting hoops. You notice your heart beating faster with this kind of activity.
Do vigorous activity for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week or more. Vigorous activity is equal to jogging, cycling at least 12 mph, cross-country skiing, or playing a basketball game. You breathe rapidly and your heart beats much faster with this kind of activity.

Being active in several chunks of 10-minutes or more throughout the day can count towards the above recommendations. You can choose to do one or both types of activity.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to increase your physical activity and improve your overall health. Not only does regular walking strengthen your heart, lungs, bones, and muscles, but it also helps your body resist and fight illness. Perhaps the most noticeable benefits of walking are an increase in energy and a positive impact on mood—regular aerobic exercise helps prevent anxiety and depression.²

Key points:

Have a checkup before beginning an exercise program. Follow the special advice that your health professional gives you for getting a smart start.
Plan to either walk a certain number of minutes or get a pedometer for counting your daily number of steps.
Start with reachable, short-term goals, such as increasing your walks by 5 minutes each day. Or, increase your number of steps by 100 if you've recently been inactive or by 2,000 if you're relatively fit. It's easiest to stick to something new when you have early, frequent successes.
Start each walk with a warm-up, speed up your pace in the middle, and finishing with a slower cooldown at the end.
To stay motivated, walk with your family, friends, or coworkers. Daily dog walks are also a great way to keep up your walking routine.
After you've made walking a regular habit, set a longer-term goal for yourself, such as walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day or for a daily total of 10,000 steps, 5 days a week or more.

What do I need to know about starting a walking program?

Try to make a daily walk an essential part of your day. You don't have to walk an entire 30 minutes at a time; getting more activity throughout the day can be just as good. If you use a pedometer, you might be surprised to see how many steps you take by simply doing chores and errands.

Small activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking far away and walking to your destination can add up quickly. Be creative. Instead of e-mailing or phoning a coworker or neighbor, walk over. When meeting with someone or visiting with a friend, suggest taking a walk instead of staying inside.

To get the heart-healthy benefits of walking, walk briskly enough to increase your pulse and breathing, but not so fast that you can't talk comfortably.

Why walk for wellness?

Walking is a form of aerobic exercise, which means that it increases your heart rate, making your heart able to pump more blood per beat, which increases blood circulation throughout your body. This brings more oxygen and nutrients to your brain and other major organs, increases your lungs' ability to take in oxygen, lowers blood pressure, and helps to reduce body fat.

Walking is also a weight-bearing activity, which keeps your bones healthy by working the muscles and bones against gravity. Walking therefore helps reduce your risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

How can I stay motivated with a walking program?

One of the best ways to stay motivated to walk is to include others. Ask family members, friends, and coworkers to join you. Join a walking group or club, or walk a dog every day. Here is a list of other tips you can try:

Buy a pedometer at a sporting goods store. A pedometer counts how many steps you take. The first time you wear it, count how many steps you normally take in a day. Wear your pedometer every day and set a goal for increasing that number of steps each day. Try to start with an increase of 2,000 steps a day and work toward 10,000.
Get others to join you and set goals as a group.
Fit a walk in wherever you can. Instead of watching TV or going out to eat, go out for a walk.
If the weather is bad, take comfortable shoes to the mall and walk several laps inside.
Walk to the grocery store, medical appointments, work, school, or shopping areas.
Walk around your neighborhood or around a park.
Schedule walks on your daily calendar.
Wear comfortable shoes and socks that cushion your feet.
Drink plenty of water. Take a water bottle with you when you walk.
Be safe and know your surroundings. Walk in a well-lighted, safe place. Carry a cell phone for emergencies.
Plan family outings around walks together. Being physically active with kids sets an example they'll follow as they grow older.
Set a goal to participate in an organized fitness walk.

Where to go from here

Now that you have read this information, you are ready to plan a walking program that suits you.

Talk with your health professional

If you have questions about this information, take it with you when you visit your health professional.

References

Citations

Haskell WL, et al. (2007). Physical activity and public health: Updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation, 116(9): 1081–1093.

Artal M, Sherman C (1998). Exercise against depression. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 26(10): 55–59.

Credits

Author	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Associate Editor	Pat Truman
Primary Medical Reviewer	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Christine Fordyce, MD - Family Practice/Geriatrics
Last Updated	June 22, 2006