Part of developing a new routine to get fit is having positive reinforcement and motivation to keep it up. According to MayoClinic.com, walking is an ideal activity to help improve your health. Walking is low-impact and won't put undue pressure on your joints, does not require expensive equipment and you can walk anywhere. You can also watch your progress as you walk your way to fitness by assessing your strength and appearance on a regular basis.
Step 1
Weigh yourself before you begin your new walking-for-fitness routine. When combined with a healthy diet, you may be able to burn some extra calories by walking and will lose weight. Weigh in on a regular basis--weekly, monthly, whatever interval is most comfortable for you--to track your progress.
Step 2
Wear a pedometer, a small device you clip to your waist, that calculates the number of steps you've taken or how many miles you've walked in a day. A pedometer can help you watch the progress you're making in a very concrete way as you may notice you've increased the number of steps you've taken daily, or that you can walk further distances within a set time period.
Step 3
Watch your progress throughout your walking regimen simply by noticing how you feel. If you walk for 30 minutes daily, you might start out very tired on the first day that you walk for fitness. Over time your body will get stronger and you might not be fatigued after walking for half an hour.
MayoClinic.com suggests keeping track of how many minutes you walk each day and comparing your results to your earlier goals.
Step 4
Measure your waist, hips, thighs and calves weekly or monthly for another progress report. As you lose weight and develop muscle from walking, you may whittle away some extra inches from your body measurements.
Tips and Warnings
- The American Heart Association offers an online tracker that can help you see the progress you're making as you walk. Enter your walking distance, body weight and measurements as well as the foods you eat daily to help keep you motivated on your quest to fitness.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Pedometer
- Watch
- Tape measure
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