Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• What you need

Walking is a basic movement that we do every day, but you will have to follow certain walking rules in order to gain the health benefits. You should take at least 10,000 steps to exercise every day. These steps can be easily measured using a step counter app on a smartphone or fitness watch. Take the time to prepare for your walk, slowly increase your walking time and difficulty for the most benefits.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing for a walk

1. 

   Find the right place. In general, you should walk in a place with flat terrain, straight lines, less rough road surface, and less traffic. The best way is to walk in a residential area, but if the road is too steep, crooked, or unsuitable for walking, then you should choose a different location around the living area.
   • Make sure you wear the right shoes.Walking puts pressure on your feet and can hurt your feet if you don't wear well-fitting walking shoes. At the same time, pay attention to wear training shoes suitable for the weather.
   • Drive to the park on foot if you are far away. The park is usually very flat and peaceful.
   • Some cities have fairly flat and well-maintained bicyclists or pedestrian lanes. These roads also have few cars passing, which are very suitable for walking.
   • If you don't get tempted and stop by the stalls, the mall is also a good place to walk. These places are both flat and spacious with lots of paths so you won't get bored.
   • If you are near a large river or lake, river banks and lakeside will be great places to relax, breathe fresh air and walk in the early morning.
   • If you are lucky enough to live in the countryside, you can combine walking to the grocery store or the post office while doing some chores like buying milk or mailing.
   • If you enjoy exercising indoors, you can walk on the treadmill set at a slow speed.

2. 

   
   
   Design a playlist for exercise. Walking while listening to music can be very helpful, especially when the activities that aren't too exciting often get bored quickly. Listening to music also helps relax your mind and give you space to think about many things in life; Playful music also helps keep you motivated to walk. The walk is a great opportunity to contemplate and plan for the future, but don't think about it too stressful, the main purpose of this activity is to relax yourself!
   • You can download your favorite music to your phone or MP3 player so you can listen anywhere.
   • Walking is also a good opportunity to listen to audiobooks or other types of newsletters.
   • If you listen to music or other audio files while walking outdoors, be careful of your surroundings because wearing headphones will make it difficult to hear the sounds of approaching traffic.

3. 

   
   
   Set moderate expectations for progress. If you are sedentary for a long time, start walking more slowly with a shorter distance. Write down clear goals or a calendar so you can keep track of your progress and your success.
   • For example, you might plan to start walking every 30 minutes, 3 times a week.
   • Note, for many people, walking is a fairly light exercise and doesn't take too much effort. Therefore, with careful preparation and the right clothes, you will be able to walk for hours without feeling as tired as when doing heavy exercises, such as running or weight training.

4. 

   
   
   Keep the spirit for "slow but steady" exercise. For many people this is quite easy, but for others it is not. As the saying goes, walking is definitely a marathon, not a sprint, so prepare yourself before you start your exercise.
   • Don't expect quick results. You should maintain daily walking as a healthy choice towards a better lifestyle. Do not see this as a tool to get in shape quickly or lose weight fast.
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Part 2 of 3: Starting a Walking Journey

1. 

   Stay hydrated before you start walking. You need to drink at least 250 - 500 ml of water an hour before walking. Drink more water if you plan to walk longer to avoid dehydration during exercise, especially in hot weather.
   • You can carry a water bottle while walking to stay hydrated.
   • Some people have a stomachache if they drink water right before walking or while walking, so be aware of this. Give your body enough time to absorb your water intake before starting the exercise.
   • Don't drink too much water to avoid the urge to use the restroom while hiking. Or you can choose the one with a public toilet.

2. 

   Start with the easy ride. Make sure that no matter how far you go, you will be able to return to the starting point. It is most suitable that you should go on an oval track no more than 0.5 km long.
   • If you feel you can go more than your initial goal, don't hesitate! Walking is usually not as strenuous as most other activities, so don't be afraid to raise your goals.

3. 

   Set the time. When you start walking, plan for how long and how long you will be able to walk. Don't worry about short or long time, go until you reach your goal. As a beginner, about 2-5 minutes a day should be enough, then you can gradually increase the time each week.
   • Regardless of how far you go, it is important that you go longer and longer. You will go faster and farther as you gain experience.
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Part 3 of 3: Improve walking ability

1. 

   Increase time. Take 30 seconds to one minute for each walk until you can walk for about 10 minutes. However, don't mind if you can't walk any longer than the day before. After walking every 10 minutes, the speed to increase travel time may be slow, keep working to increase your travel time by 5 minutes per week.

2. 

   Increase speed and difficulty after being able to walk for 45 minutes per day. Instead of walking on an oval road, switch to walking on the street, at this time it will be more difficult to walk because you will have to go up and down more steep hills.
   • Keep looking for more difficult terrains to practice, the ultimate challenge is that you will be able to walk up hills and cliffs.

3. 

   Determines target heart rate and maximum heart rate. You can buy a heart rate monitor and wear it while exercising to determine your heart rate accurately. If your heart rate is below your target heart rate (THR), you'll need to increase your walking pace for this activity to benefit your health.
   • Your body won't burn excess fat if your heart rate is not within the target heart rate zone.
   • When walking, the effects of weight loss and health promotion depend on endurance, not speed or distance.

4. 

   Practice interval. Take a brisk walk for one to two minutes, then slow down to normal speed for about two minutes. Every day or two, add some interval training, including resting time until you reach your desired total time. As your fitness gets better, try to reduce your rest time to about a minute or less. advertisement

Advice

• Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes that provide support for the feet.
• Keep a good walking posture. You need to keep your head up, eyes looking ahead, shoulders open back. When walking, the hands are naturally swinging on both sides of the body, the heels and toes coordinate smooth movements, the palms point towards the hips.
• Walking is not only a good exercise, but also an effective stress reliever; If combined with abdominal breathing with every step, you will get even more health benefits.
• You can incorporate walking when doing everyday tasks if you do not have time to walk to exercise. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the shops nearby; If you want to visit a friend who doesn't live too far away, you can also walk. Simply climbing the stairs regularly and taking short walks can make a surprising difference.
• Learn to walk briskly to burn more calories, exercise more muscle and provide more heart-healthy benefits.
• Walking can cause cramps. If you have cramps, place your hands on your head and begin to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth regularly. Remember to bring a water bottle.
• If you are driving a car, keep it a bit away from home so that you will have to walk to pick up the car.
• If you live in a city center where walking is one of the default activities and rarely use a car, then you don't have to think about walking to exercise because every day you are. walking.
• If you drive frequently to school / work, you can walk to a nearby park, or you can park your car far away and walk the rest of the way.

Warning

• Wear white or reflective clothing if walking at night. Do not assume drivers will notice or see you when it is dark.
• Prepare before walking.Bring water and a self-defense siren in case you get into trouble with dogs or bad guys. Carrying a cell phone is also a good idea.
• If you are walking and are out of breath, slow down or stop completely and ask for help if needed.
• You should consult your doctor before starting exercise walking or other exercises, especially if you have not been to a checkup for more than 6 months.

What you need

• A pitcher of water
• A cell phone in case of an emergency.
• A self-defense siren to ask for help if you get into trouble, for example encounter a crime, wild animals or have health problems.
• A hat, sunscreen and sunglasses when it's sunny.
• MP3 player for listening to music while walking.
• A small light clip in a pocket or bracelet has a light that lights up when riding off the sidewalk, or a sidewalk includes cyclists and they may not see you in the dark.