Walking is by far the most effective way to kickstart your fitness restart plan after a long year of COVID dormancy.

For your health, your heart, your weight, and to lower your risk for Type II diabetes or maintain healthy blood sugar levels, you need at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, 30 minutes, 5 days a week: walking, biking, swimming, jogging and 60 minutes, 30 minutes of resistance/ weight-bearing exercise for 2 days a week.

“According to the American Heart Association, walking 10,000-12,000 steps a day can do almost as much good for your health as 60 minutes of vigorous exercise like running or biking.” Keep track of your steps for inspiration with an app on your i-phone or pedometer. Note how far you can walk in five minutes, and increase your walking speed and distance as you build stamina. You should strive to be able to walk a mile in 17 minutes.  Get moving.

It’s never too late to get started

Even if you have maintained a sedentary work and home life for many years, it is not too late to get started and still enjoy benefits for your health, weight, and emotional well-being. If you have a chronic illness, always check with your healthcare provider and begin slowly into any program. A ten-minute walk is a perfect way to step into your better health. That ten-minute walk is the first step to kick start a regular fitness plan. Thinking of ways to add physical exercise to your day will become easier as movement becomes part of your daily routine. Examples of activities that can be added are taking the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther from the entrance, walk the dog, and five days a week take a walk for at least 30 minutes.

Walking doesn’t require special equipment or a membership- it’s free.