feel like it. Every day. (Of course, any walking is better than none, so if you can only walk three or four times a week, or only manage to squeeze in a five- or 10-minute walk on a hectic day, by all means do it.)
You don’t have to make it a marathon trek, and it doesn’t have to take a huge chunk out of your day. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of walking each day. The National Institutes of Health suggests working toward a 40-minute routine that is broken into three stages: five minutes of slow walking to warm up, 30 minutes of brisk walking, and five minutes of slow walking to cool off.
If this routine is too daunting at first, you can start with just 15 minutes each day, including five minutes of warmup, five minutes of brisk walking, and five minutes of cooling down. Each week, add a few minutes to your brisk walk until you reach at least 40 minutes total. For a sample walking program and more tips on starting your own routine, check out the NIH brochure “Walking: A Step in the Right Direction”.
One great thing about walking is that you don’t have to do it all at once. Four 10-minute walks will burn just as many calories as one 40-minute walk. Many people find, however, that it’s simpler to fit one walk into their schedule than four.
Different walkers find different ways to stick with their routine. Walking with a friend can be a great source of motivation — it’s hard to