Try to make a daily walk an essential part of your day. It isn't necessary to walk an entire 30 minutes at a time; getting more activity throughout the day will be just as good. Accumulating activity throughout the day helps burn calories and maintain your weight.

Small activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking far away and walking to your destination can add up quickly to the recommended 30 minutes of activity. Be creative. Instead of e-mailing or phoning a coworker, get up and walk to his or her desk. If you need to meet with someone, suggest taking a walk instead of staying inside.

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

Your heart is a muscle with fibers that allow it to contract and pump blood. When used during aerobic exercise, the heart becomes more efficient and pumps more blood with each heartbeat. Exercise, such as walking, also increases your muscles' ability to take oxygen from the blood. A more efficient heart can pump more blood with each heartbeat and deliver more oxygen and nutrients to other organs.

One of the best ways to stay motivated to walk is to include other people. Ask friends and coworkers to join you. Join a walking group or club.

• Buy a pedometer at a sporting goods store. Wear it every day and count your steps. The first time you wear it, count how many steps you normally take in a day. Set a goal for increasing it each day or week. 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.
• Walk before or after work or on your lunch break. Instead of taking a snack or coffee break, take a walk break.
• If the weather is bad, take comfortable shoes to the mall and walk several laps inside.
• Walk to work, school, the grocery store, or a restaurant.
• Walk around your neighborhood, around an entire park, or to do errands.
• Schedule walks on your business calendar. Turn a walk into a brainstorming session with a coworker.
• Wear comfortable shoes and socks that cushion your feet.
• Drink plenty of water. Take a bottle with you when you walk.
• Be safe and know your surroundings. Walk in a well-lighted, safe place.
• Plan family outings around walks together.
• Take your dog on a walk.
• Set a goal to participate in an organized fitness walk.

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.

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