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Does a trek up a flight of stairs leave you feeling like you've just climbed Mt. Everest? Do last year's blue jeans make your stomach feel like it's in a vise? Has your physician prescribed more exercise?

If so, then you probably should consider walking, which is easy, convenient, inexpensive and virtually stress-free. Almost anyone, at 4ny age and in just about any physical condition, can walk. Compared to other exercise options, walking is also the least complicated. All you need is a good pair of well-cushioned walking shoes and heavy socks to prevent blisters.

Despite its simplicity, a walking program, consistently followed and properly executed, can reap enormous health and psychological benefits. Certainly the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physically active people on average outlive inactive people, even if they start their activity late in life.

Walking is an excellent addition to an overall weight-loss program. You can also expect to feel more energized and to see an improvement in your overall physical fitness and muscle tone. Physicians often encourage their recuperating patients to take a daily walk in order to strengthen their hearts and back muscles and to increase their lung capacity. Studies indicate that walking stimulates blood circulation, reduces cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and helps to prevent and control diabetes.

Walking also has been found to decrease stress and tension and to help alleviate depression. It can provide companionship when done with a group or serve as a "time out" in the middle of a hectic day. Walking clubs are sprouting up everywhere and dedicated walkers around the country are using their leisure time to rediscover nature and to explore the world around them.

Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is easy to fit into a busy schedule. Experts say three 10-minute walking sessions a day are just as effective as 30 minutes walked all at once. You can park your car a few blocks from work and walk the rest of the way. You can walk during your coffee break, on your lunch hour, and to and from appointments.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk after dinner instead of watching television. Take your family with you and use the time to touch bases with everyone. Low-impact walking provides all the benefits of aerobic exercise without most of the risks of muscle or joint injuries common to high-impact activities such as jogging or aerobic dancing

The first step in designing a personalized walking program is to visit your physician for a fitness evaluation, particularly if you're overweight, suffer from cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or have some other chronic medical condition.

Regardless of your fitness level, experts advise you to begin your walking session by stretching your muscles for five minutes, followed by a five-minute stretch afterwards to keep from becoming sore and stiff. With stretching, more is not always better. You should generally hold a stretch for approximately 30 seconds and stop if it begins to hurt.

Walk with your body in a natural upright position with your chin lifted and your shoulders held slightly back. With each step forward, plant your heel first, following through and pushing off with your toe. Try to keep your toes pointed forward rather than turning them inward or outward. Swing your arms gently at your side in opposition to your legs, bending them at 90-degree angles if you prefer. Your right arm and left leg should move forward, while your left arm and right leg move backward.

Your physician is the best person to advise you, based on your current level of fitness, on how far and how fast you should begin walking. But studies have shown that even heart attack victims and out-of-shape couch potatoes can begin walking about a mile in 25 minutes every other lay. You should feel refreshed, not worn out after you're done, so don't push yourself to the point of feeling tired and out of breath. If you can't comfortably hold a conversation, advise experts, you're probably walking too fast. Each time you walk thereafter, try to add another 2 to 5 minutes to your previous time.

If you've been fairly active up to this point, you probably an begin walking a little faster than the sedentary stroller. Walking a mile in approximately 15 minutes allows you to obtain a more intense cardiovascular workout. Moving your arms is an important component of brisk walking because the extra movements created by your swinging arms increase your heart rate, help you to take in more oxygen and provide the momentum necessary to help you move faster.

Serious walkers usually can complete a mile in 14 minutes or less. This type of aerobic walking increases your heart and breathing rates even more and allows you to bum as many calories as jogging.

Consistency is more important than intensity, and after some regularity, you'll be able to walk farther and faster. So, whether you're beginning your walking program as a stroller or you're adding to an already established fitness routine, walking, say experts, is the perfect prescription for better health.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:53 AM