Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health

Can you really walk your way to fitness? Yes, you can! Start today.

Physical activity doesn't need to be hard to help your health. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you improve your health and lower your risk of many long-term health conditions.

For example, regular brisk walking can help you:

• Maintain a healthy weight or help manage your weight.
• Prevent or manage various health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, several cancers and type 2 diabetes.
• Improve heart health and fitness, and build endurance.
• Strengthen bones and muscles.
• Boost energy levels.
• Improve mood, thinking, memory and sleep.
• Improve physical function and, in older adults, lower fall risk.
• Reduce stress and anxiety.

In general, walking faster, farther and more often is linked to greater benefits. If you are just starting out, slowly work your way up to walking faster and farther. Over time, you may notice you can walk farther in less time. This helps you get aerobic activity, improve heart health, build endurance and burn calories.

And getting a high number of steps each day is linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease and from all causes.

You also can switch between brisk walking and slower walking. This is an example of interval training. Try walking fast for a few minutes, then slow down for a few minutes. Interval training can improve heart health and fitness and can be a time-efficient way to improve fitness.

Turning your normal walk into a fitness stride takes good posture and purposeful movements. Ideally, when you're walking, try to:

• Keep your head up. Look forward, not down.
• Relax your neck, shoulders and back.
• Swing your arms freely with a slight bend in your elbows. It's ok to pump your arms a little.
• Tighten your stomach muscles a little and keep your back straight, not arched forward or backward.
• Walk smoothly and roll each foot from heel to toe.

Proper walking technique

A fitness stride requires good posture and purposeful movements.

As you start your walking routine, remember to:

• Get the right gear. Choose comfortable, supportive shoes that fit well.

  Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that matches the weather, such as layers in cooler weather. Aim to wear moisture-wicking fabrics. These can help keep you drier. If you walk outdoors when it's dark, wear bright or reflective clothing so others can see you.

  Some people use an activity tracker, app or pedometer to track steps, time, distance, intensity, heart rate and calories. These tools can help you stay motivated.

• Choose your route carefully. Walk in safe, well-lit areas. If you're walking alone, tell someone which route you're taking. Avoid walking in the street or on uneven or cracked sidewalks.

  If the weather isn't safe or comfortable for walking outdoors, consider an indoor option, such as walking in a shopping mall that offers open times for walkers.

• Warm up. Walk slowly for the first few minutes to warm up your muscles and get your body ready for exercise. Then slowly pick up the pace.
• Cool down. At the end of your walk, slow down for a few minutes to help your muscles cool down.
• Stretch. After you cool down, gently stretch your muscles to improve flexibility.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

• Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. Or get 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal mix of the two types. Aim to exercise most days of the week. For even more health benefits, get 300 minutes a week or more of moderate aerobic activity. Exercising this much may help with weight loss or keeping off lost weight. But even small amounts of physical activity can be helpful.
• Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. If you can't set aside that much time, try doing a few short walks throughout the day instead. Park farther away when you go to the store, or take the stairs instead of elevators. Make a meeting a walking meeting. Any amount of activity is better than none. Short bursts of activity add up and have health benefits.

It's OK to start slowly, especially if you haven't been exercising regularly. You might start with only a few minutes a day the first week. Then gradually add to your time by a few minutes each week as your fitness improves. Consider checking with your healthcare professional before starting a walking program if you have a long-term condition or a recent injury.

Tracking your progress can help you stay motivated. You might keep a record of your steps, distance and walking time to help you track improvement. Daily steps are an easy way to measure progress.

You might try using an activity tracker, app or pedometer to track steps, time and distance. Or write these numbers in a walking journal.

Starting a walking program takes effort. Sticking with it takes commitment. To stay motivated, try these tips:

• Set yourself up for success. Start with a simple goal you can reach, such as a short walk during a break. As walking becomes part of your routine, slowly build on your goal.
• Make it enjoyable. Walk with a friend or neighbor. Or join a health club or walking group. Take your dog. Listening to music may help, too.
• Change your routine. If you walk outdoors, plan many different routes. If you often walk in your neighborhood, try new routes or walk somewhere new, such as a city or state park. As you get used to walking more, add routes with hills or stairs. Or walk faster for a few minutes and then slow down for a few minutes, and then repeat the cycle.
• Take missed days in stride. If you skip some daily walks, don't give up. Remind yourself how good you feel when you include physical activity in your daily routine. Then get back to your routine when you can.

Once you take that first step, you're already headed in the right direction — better health.