Home Blogs Walking Exercise Program: Fitness | Exercise Plan | Moderate Walking Speed
Walking Exercise Program: Fitness | Exercise Plan | Moderate Walking Speed
By
Patricia | August 10, 2010
Walking is an effective exercise regime that can be used by people to develop fitness and burn off some excess energy. It is extremely popular because it can be used by people of all ages and requires only shoes as equipment. Walking puts a low strain on the body but it can also be increased in intensity to put a medium amount of stress on the body. A walking exercise program can be tried by someone who wishes to improve his or her fitness. Walking is recommended for unfit people as it can be easily started and requires only a gradual increase in effort for subsequent walks.
A walking exercise program is a planned exercise. Typically the walker should use some device which is capable of measuring speed and distance. Exercise is done in order to burn off excess fat, improve stamina, improve muscle tone and generally boost energy and mental health levels. When walking for exercise, one should choose a path that is known to be obstruction free. This allows walking to be conducted without much hindrance.
When a walk starts, the body is commencing its effort from a state of rest. This means that the muscles are tight and the heart and lungs are functioning at a slow speed which is normal for a person who is idle. The walk should therefore start slowly with the warm up segment of the walk being light and preferably at level or downhill. Once the body is warmed up the speed and gradient can be raised. Many people use treadmills for a walking exercise program. This allows the parameters of the walk to be set exactly as per the requirements of the individual.
In a walking program, one should start off with a small distance and low or moderate speed. This helps the unfit body gradually build up its fitness. Every subsequent walk should be undertaken at a slightly higher speed or for a slightly longer distance. This means that the body will be made to work a little harder each time yet giving it time to adjust. The walker will probably feel the same amount of fatigue after a slightly longer distance each time he or she walks. This is because the body is becoming more and more efficient as the walking program continues.
When walking for exercise, one should not push the body beyond a comfortable distance as this can lead to severe fatigue and muscle pain.