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walking for exercisePerseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~Walter Elliott, The Spiritual Life Measure the intensity of your walking for exercise workout. Knowing how hard you are working allows you to increase the intensity or slow down to avoid overdoing it. If you're so out of breath that you can't carry on a conversation with the person you're walking with, you're probably walking too fast and should slow down. Heart Rate MonitorMonitor your heart rate (pulse). To find out if you're exercising within the range of your target heart rate, stop exercising to check your pulse manually at your wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery). Count the beats in 10 seconds and then multiply by 6 to get your heart rate per minute.Another option is to wear an electronic device that monitors and displays your heart rate, called a heart rate monitor. You should aim for 70% of your maximum heart rate. To determine your maximum heart rate you can use this formula: 220 – (your age) = If you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate is 180, and 70% is 140 beats per minute. However, this only gives a relative indication, as many other factors come in to play. The most accurate way to measure your maximum heart rate is on a treadmill under medical supervision.
PedometerAnother option is to record your walking speed by noting how many steps you take, the distance you walk and how long it takes. Just think how good you'll feel when you see how many miles you've walked each week, month and year.Or work out your walking speed by timing how long it takes you to walk a mile (pre-measure it in the car) or count the number of steps you take in 1 minute. If you are walking to improve your fitness 4mph will be appropriate. Record these numbers in a walking log or on a spreadsheet on your computer. Or use a pedometer. These devices, which you usually attach to your belt or waistband, detect body motion and count your footsteps, displaying the number of steps on a small screen. I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements. ~Henry David Thoreau TreadmillLike Henry David, I love walking outside in the spring and summer, and I love the woods in autumn. But winter...I finally took the plunge and bought a treadmill, more than ten years ago now...and I have never regretted it. Nothing fancy, various speeds and three different manually adjusted inclinations does me just fine. So no more excuses...I can walk everyday, come rain, show, gales or shine. A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White
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