Walking or jogging every day provides multiple health benefits. You burn calories which helps you lose weight, raise your heart rate, improve your health, build endurance and strengthen your muscles so you can do everyday tasks. The path to achieving these goals begins with a single step. Start your cardiovascular fitness program today and you will steadily improve your health as well as your quality of life. If you have medical concerns, consult your doctor before implementing a walking or jogging regimen.
Step 1
Start small. Rather than tell yourself you need to do a one-hour workout every day, begin by adding more incidental walking to your day. Park further from your destinations, spend your lunch break on foot, take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk your dog.
Step 2
Measure your average number of steps. Put on a pedometer and track how many steps you take during the day. Write down the total number of steps every day for one week. Add up the totals, divide your sum by seven and you have your average number of steps per day.
Step 3
Increase your average number of steps per day. Set the goal of adding 1,000 to 2,000 steps per week. You can achieve this goal by doing some laps around the park or at the mall or doing weekend hikes.
Step 4
Keep your workout interesting by changing routes or listening to music while walking. Alternate between urban walks, park strolls and nature hikes. You want to reach up to 10,000 steps per day.
Step 5
Increase your cardiovascular challenges. As you get more fit, you need more intense exercise to get stronger and burn calories. Walk on a hilly route or pepper your walk with short jogs that last up to one minute.
Step 6
Lengthen your speed intervals. Race-walk or jog for up to two minutes, rest with a slower walk for one minute, and then return to your fast pace. Speed intervals build your endurance, speed and strength quickly, so that you can soon do regular jogging workouts.
Tips and Warnings
- Wear comfortable and supportive shoes to avoid injury. Drink plain water to stay hydrated during your workout.
Things You'll Need
- Pedometer
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