If you have a health condition or have not done any regular physical activity for a long time talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Plan to walk with a friend and help each other stick to it.

Choose a safe, pleasant place to walk. Vary your routes to keep your walks interesting.

Log your steps everyday and increase your goal every two weeks.

Start each walking session with a 5-minute warm-up of walking slowly.

After your warm-up, walk more briskly to increase your heart rate. If you can only do 10-15 minutes at first, that’s okay. It’s not a contest – it’s about you and your health.

End each session with a 5-minute cool down of slow walking. Don’t forget to stretch at the beginning and end of your walking program.