Walk Your Way - First, find a routine that fits. Then, step lively toward better health.

by Linda Formichelli

Who knew bird watching could help you keep fit? Diane and David Allison, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, will tell you it’s true.

For the last 15 years, the Allisons, both 54, have walked the hilly road near their home every day in the summer and at least four days a week in the winter. Diane is an avid bird watcher, so she always wears a pair of binoculars around her neck on the two-mile walk. In the spring, they spot bluebirds. In the winter, it’s hawks.

“The walking has kept our weight down and our vitals, like blood pressure and cholesterol, in check,” she says. “And it keeps us in good physical shape to do the things we like to do.”

Walking has other benefits, too, says Lindsay Staffaroni, a fitness specialist with Thrivent Financial. “It helps prevent depression, elevates your mood, improves sleep, strengthens joints and bones, helps with constipation and back pain, and lowers stress levels.”

In a 2004 study by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, older men who walked the least had almost twice the risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia as men who walked more than two miles a day. And in a recent Nurse’s Health Study of more than 79,000 older women, those who walked as little as one hour a week were 31 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than those who didn’t walk at all.

But the best news is no surprise: Walking is easy to do. It requires no special equipment other than a good pair of walking shoes and is accessible to almost everyone. The key is finding what works for you. Here are a few ideas.

For the Beginner

The best place to start a walking regimen is in your head. By thinking through what may work for you, you’ll be less likely to stop short of seeing results, says Maggie Spilner, author of Walk Your Way Through Menopause (Rockport Publishers, 2005) and owner of Walk for All Seasons, a walking tour company. “Maybe that will mean carving out the time, finding a walking partner, or deciding whether to do your walk all at once or break it up,” she says.

When you have a plan, get moving. Start at a slow, strolling pace, and keep your sessions short. “A couple of five- or 10-minute walks still add up,” says Staffaroni, and the last thing you want to do is get sore, tired and too discouraged to continue. When you start to feel comfortable with your walking, up the intensity by moving a bit faster. Then work your way to 30 minutes a day.

For the Veteran

If you’ve been walking for a while and are getting bored with the same old 30-minute routine, track your progress on paper and set weekly goals for time and pace. Then watch your walks and let your results motivate you. “Keeping it in your head can be deceptive,” says Spilner. “You may feel like you walked a lot one week, but if you log, you may see that days slip by when you really didn’t get out there.”

Your body also gets used to any exercise you do regularly, so your “same old” walk eventually burns fewer calories, says Spilner. To step it up, incorporate hills or try a new route. Also consider intervals: Start out comfortably, speed up to a brisk pace for 30 seconds and then slow down again for a few minutes. Shoot for longer periods of fast-paced walking and shorter recuperation times.

Your iPod or MP3 playlist can help with intervals: When you hear a certain song, walk faster. When it’s done, go back to your normal pace.

For the Diehard

At this level, even intervals look tame and it’s time to get creative. Staffaroni suggests walking with someone who challenges you; choosing more difficult courses; lengthening your stride; stopping periodically to add in lunges and push-ups; or walking backward for a block to work different muscles. There’s also race-walking—just one step below jogging. “Anything that will keep it interesting will help you push it,” she says.

Or, why not test yourself by signing up to compete in a race or charity walk? “There are any number of 5Ks and 10Ks and half marathons,” Staffaroni says. “You also can walk for breast cancer, for autism—you can pretty much walk for anything.” Even for the birds.

Linda Formichelli is a health and lifestyle writer who lives in Concord, New Hampshire.

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