Rev Up Your Walking Workout

Put one foot in front of the other. Repeat … again, and again, and again. If that’s the only recipe you know of for fitness walking, then maybe it’s time to spice up your routine.

Walking every day is good for you. It has wonderful benefits for the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. It can help you manage your weight and control your blood pressure and cholesterol. But it’s like a daily bowl of oatmeal—healthy but pretty bland until the cinnamon, dried fruit, or brown sugar is added.

To make walking something you can look forward to each day, add the ingredients that appeal to you personally.

If you like a challenge

Jazz up your routine by raising the bar, suggests Dixie Thompson, Ph.D., professor of exercise physiology and director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

“If it’s your habit to walk a two-mile course in 30 minutes, next week aim to complete the same course in 29 minutes,” suggests Dr. Thompson. “Or, keep walking for 30 minutes, but try to walk an extra block or two in the same amount of time.”

Or set a long-term goal: If a two-mile hike is a challenge now, how will you need to step up your routine in order to be walking five miles six months from now?

If you like company

Find yourself a walking partner, whether a colleague from work, a friend, or your spouse.

“This can provide that extra motivation to get out every day and walk, and it cuts down on the boredom factor,” says Dr. Thompson.

If you like gadgets

Buy yourself a pedometer to track how many steps you take each day, or a heart monitor to keep yourself in the right cardiovascular zone. Or, use walking as an excuse to purchase a portable music player so you’ll have an upbeat tempo to walk to.

If you like serenity

Stressed out? Find a quiet, peaceful walking route.

If you are trying to lose weight

“If you’re overweight, walking is a good moderate-intensity activity that puts much less stress on your joints than running,” says Dr. Thompson. “But to use it as a weight-loss tool, understand that you’ll need to commit to walking every single day. Fit it into your lifestyle to continually provide that energy expenditure.”

Remember that you won’t lose weight if you don’t also control the calories you take in by eating a healthy diet.

If you're a fitness fan

You can build up to vigorous exercise by taking on the challenge of race walking or “power walking.” The faster you walk in a given period of time, the more you’ll be working your cardiovascular system and the more calories you’ll burn. You can get similar effects by maintaining your speed while walking up hills.

If you are building strength

Mark J. Occhipinti, Ph.D., N.D.c., president of American Fitness Professionals and Associates in Ship Bottom, N.J., notes that an ideal overall fitness program will couple walking or another form of cardiovascular exercise with strength training.

“Use a gym or home gym for your resistance training to get the best overall results,” suggests Dr. Occhipinti. He advises against carrying weights while walking because it can strain joints.