Before embarking on your walking program please keep the following points in mind. They will help you to ensure that your walks are as safe as they are effective.

Set Reasonable Expectations
If you have been sedentary for a long time, you should start out by walking slowly and going for only short distances.

Find a Suitable Location
Although you can begin by simply walking around your block, you may wish to find a better suited location if the terrain in your immediate environment is too steep or rough. For an alternative location you can use your nearest high school as most schools allow local residents to walk the track when it's not used. You can also drive to a nearby park, if it's too far to be reached on foot. Parks are often flat and very peaceful.

Make Your Walks Easy to Complete
Set realistic distance for your walks, basing it on your physical condition, so that you can easily return to your starting point. Walking around an oval track that is about a quarter of a mile in circumference should assist you with accomplishing this.

Set Appropriate Time Limits
When you first start walking, set a reasonable time limit, again based on your physical condition. 2-5 minutes each day is a good start. With each walk, you can increase your walking time by thirty seconds to one minute until you are able to walk comfortably for 10 minutes. After you reach this plateau in your comfort level and maintain it for several walks, resume adding time to your walks until you can comfortably walk for 30 minutes. As a somewhat experienced walker, you can now add larger time intervals, up to 5 minutes for each new walk.

Work on Speed and Difficulty
When your fitness level allows you to walk for 45 minutes a day, you can begin working on speed and difficulty. If you started on an oval track, you may now move onto the city sidewalks and streets. You will encounter hills and valleys that will make your walks more challenging, but also rewarding - by building your endurance.

Try Interval Training
Walk at an increased speed for one to two minutes, then slow down to your normal speed for the same interval. Add another interval, every walk or two, until you reach your desired total time for this type of training.

Determine Your Target and Maximum Heart Rates
In order to maximize the benefits of your walking routine, you should exercise in the zone of your target heart rate (THR). Generally, your THR is 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. If you find yourself walking with a lower heart rate than your THR, you should increase the walking speed. If you are above your THR, decrease your walking speed.

The following page contains the instructions for calculating your THR.