Start a walking programme.
The Basics
Walking is ideal for people who have never exercised before. It’s often suggested that 10,000 a steps a day for people who are not exercising and are overwieight, is a good target to aim for. Invest in an in-expensive pedometer to track your progress.
Walking is a great form of exercise as its convenient, practical and very cheap!
Walking can be taken up at any age and special walking programmes are led by trained walk leaders who can provide useful information and advice.
These programmes are a great chance to meet people, make new friends and have fun and regular walking can improve your confidence, stamina, energy, weight control and life expectancy.
Common Myths & Misconceptions
- “Walking is unsafe.” Walking is one of the safest physical activities. There is very little risk of injury and it doesn’t hurt. When you join a walking programme you can’t get lost as there is a leader at the front and one at the back. The walk leaders ensure you don’t get left behind and can help you out with understanding how fast you should walk and other helpful tips.
- “Walking has to be brisk for it to help you loss weight.” Any walking is better than none. Brisk walking is the best but, if you aren’t that fit or have taken very little exercise recently, then gentle strolling is a good start. It’s much better to start slowly and build up to walking faster rather than overdoing things at the beginning.
Tips & Tricks
- Invest in the right shoes and wear a step counter so that you know how far you have walked. Log the number in a walk diary so you can monitor your progress.
- Find different walking groups in your area, try them out and see what suits you best.
- Wheather you’re going to walk without an organised group, walk with friends or your partner take precautions. Walk while there is good light, take a personal safety sound alarm (a really loud one) and avoid quiet areas that might put you at risk.
- Invest in a good raincoat (and hat) so that you can still walk when it rains (and an umbrella).
- Always take a drink with you in a suitable container – keep it cool in a thermos flask or any other insulated container.
- Join a walking group discussion forum on the internet so that you can exchange ideas and gain new information about your chosen activity.
- You can find walking paths by visiting www.whi.org.uk.