Just a couple of notes about walking:

Walking, which is one of my favorite things to do, really offers quite a wide variety of benefits and very little risk.  Trust me, not a big chance of getting shin splints, torn muscles or ligaments from walking.

• It’s easy, it’s inexpensive and it can basically be done anywhere!

• Did you know that it burns the same amount of calories per mile than running? Of course with running, you can get more miles in, in the same amount of time.

Here are some tips:

Walk briskly, but start slowly.

Just like with any new activity, you want to start slowly and build up over time. So only you can be the best judge as to what that means. 10 minutes is better than NO minutes. Do try to walk as briskly as you can. You will want to build to a rate of about 15-20 minute miles, (3-4miles/hour).

Bring a friend

Anytime I walk with a friend, the time flies by. It’s more fun, the time goes by more quickly and there is some accountability when you make a commitment with a friend.

Buy a pedometer.

This is a great way to track your steps. You can also keep a log of your walking progress to start seeing your improvements over time.

Oh the benefits.

In the short term, walking will help you burn some calories, improve your energy and give you clearer thinking. Over the long term, walking will help lower your blood pressure, help improve your cholesterol, lower your risk for osteoporosis and may even reduce the discomfort from arthritis.

So if you enjoy it, consider making walking part of your overall lifestyle habits.

Additional resource: Realage.com