How to Walk for Absolute Beginners

Congratulations, you have decided it is time to start walking for health, fitness, and perhaps weight control.

Walking is a great, natural way to achieve daily physical activity.

We will lead you through a program for absolute beginners, with the goal to have you walking comfortably for 30 minutes to an hour, the level recommended to help prevent heart disease, type II diabetes, breast and colon cancer.

1. Preparing to walk: what you need to do before you begin a walking program.
2. Walking Technique: Next, you will learn a good walking technique with proper posture, use of arms and leg motion.
3. Beginner's Walking Schedule: how often to walk, how fast and how far to build up to the 30-60 minutes a day level.

Prepare

We begin by getting you ready to head out the door - or onto the treadmill. All of the advice included is good for walking either indoors or outdoors. To begin, we'll see if your body has any special needs before starting an exercise program. Then its on to gear-up with clothing and shoes.

• Check-up: when to seek medical advice before you start.
• What to wear
• Choosing good walking shoes

Contact your medical provider for a check-up or consultation before you begin your walking program if any of these apply:

• Sedentary for a year or more.
• You don't currently exercise and are over age 65.
• You have been diagnosed with heart trouble.
• Pregnant
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes
• You have chest pain, especially when exerting yourself.
• You often feel faint or have severe dizzy spells
• Other medical conditions.

Walking Clothing Advice for Beginners

Your walking clothing should be comfortable and loose-fitting to allow you to move.

• Depending on your climate, dress in layers so you may remove a layer as you warm up while walking, and put it back on if you feel cool.
• If you do not plan to walk up a sweat, a system can be as simple as a t-shirt, light sweater, and windproof jacket.
• If you sweat while walking, you should invest in CoolMax or polypropylene shirts to wick the sweat away from the body.
• In cooler climates you may want an insulating layer of polar fleece or wool.
• Socks should be comfortable, and the modern running socks made from CoolMax or other high-tech fibers are preferable to cotton, as they prevent blisters by keeping the feet drier.
• A hat is essential to preventing sun exposure or keeping you from losing heat.
• Sunglasses for outdoor walking prevent UV exposure for your eyes.
• Wear sunscreen.
• Carry keys and other articles in pockets or a hip pack. Pack lightly for most walks and leave the heavy purse at home.
• Carry water if you plan to be walking for a half hour or more with no water on your route. A hip pack with built-in water bottle holder is convenient.

Absolute Beginner Walking Tutorial

Prepare

• Check-up
• What to wear
• Shoes
• Technique
• Schedule

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