12-Week Walking Plan Diary

Can’t find the time or motivation to exercise? You’re not alone. Our 12-week walking plan is a simple fitness programme tailored specifically for you. Our walking table (page 2) makes it easy to record and monitor your progress, marking off all your achievements each day. Read the advice below for extra motivtation and tips to get the maximum benefit out of your walking. 

 

Walking strengthens your muscles and heart, lowers your blood pressure and helps build bones. It can even lengthen your life. According to research, walking vigorously for 30 minutes just six times a month may lower your risk of premature death by 50%.

 

It’s relatively easy on the joints and bones, with walking putting about half the stress on your knees, ankles and shins than running does. But you’ll have to give more effort than you would to a casual stroll. To get all the great benefits, including boosting your cardiovascular fitness, you need to “power walk” – moving at a pace that will bring your heart rate into the target zone.

 

To be clear, fitness walking is not as fast as race walking. Race walkers, who have an unusual gait that involves swaying the hips back and forth, can easily walk faster than some people jog. Our 12-week plan focuses on fitness walking.

 

A key element to fitness walking is proper posture. Many people slump over when they walk, which, over time, can lead to problems such as muscle strain and pains in the neck, lower back and hips. As you walk, point your chest straight ahead. And tuck in your belly, which is doing a lot of the work in holding up your back. Every five minutes or so, do a mental scan of your posture. If you’re not standing straight, pull yourself back into alignment.

 

Holding your arms still, or swinging them without bending them, will slow you down. Instead, bend your arms to a 90-degree angle and swing them in sync with the opposite leg. This motion will not only feel more natural, but it will also add speed and power to your walk.