Get walking: the rehab walk

For anyone who hasn’t done exercise-level walking before, Walking for Health, a national organisation that runs free, guided wellbeing walks, suggests the following:

Warm up first: march on the spot or walk slowly for the first few minutes.

Week 1: start gently with two 10-minute walks on three days.

Weeks 2 & 3: do two 12-minute walks on three days each week.

Gradually increase your speed and time over the following weeks up to your target of walking 30 minutes or more at least five times a week.

If you can do three 10-minute walks from day one, go for it – researchers at Loughborough University found that women who did three 10-minute walks had almost identical fitness to those who walked continuously for 30 minutes.

Your health will benefit every time you head outside
As well as keeping bones and muscles strong and halving your risk of colds, walking can help protect you against stroke, heart disease and breast and colon cancer.

● It will reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
● For company, join a ‘health walk’ group that’s led by an experienced walker through www.wfhnaturalengland.org.uk.
● Get Walking (www.getwalking.org) also offers a free 12-week nationwide programme of led walks designed for beginners.

Choose the walk to suit you, or click through the page numbers at the bottom of the page...

The no time walk

The stressbusting walk

The fat-burning power walk

The workout walk

The walk 'n' talk

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