The Walkers Guide

Walking is a great way to lose weight, improve cardiovascular health and a fabulous mood booster. The great thing about walking is that you can get all these benefits and it's free!

Depending on what you want to achieve you should walk at different paces and periods of time. Below is a rough guide of how to achieve the results you want.

Please note that this is not an approximate guide and results will vary depending on various factors such as fitness, weight, age etc.

To lose weight - 45 - 60 minutes at a minimum of 5 days a week. Your pace should still allow you talk but conversation should be quite difficult
Improved Health - 30 minutes 5 times a week. A Pace should be set where you are still able to hold a conversation relatively easily
Improve cardiovascular fitness - 20 - 30 minutes 3 - 4 days a week. The pace should be relatively fast making breathing quite difficult.

1. Monitor Yourself

Target Heart Rate (THR)

Monitoring your target heart rate is an important measure when doing any form of strenuous physical activity. Your THR can help you to determine how hard your body is working so that you can step up the pace when you're not working hard enough, or slow it down if your body is over-exerted.

Therefore a 25-year-old woman's target heart rate whilst exercising should be between 120 and 160 beats per minute.

However if you are overweight, over the age of 35, inactive, or have a family history of heart disease, consult your GP before embarking on any exercise programme.

You can measure your heart rate with a heart rate monitor that can be purchased in most sports equipment stores. If you do not wish to invest in a monitor then you can measure your heart rate by placing your index finger on your neck or alternatively on your wrist. Count the beats for 60 seconds or to discover your heart rate in beats per minute.

Depending on what results you desire from your walking programme, your body should be working in one of the following zones:

If you are just starting an exercise programme, it is advised that you keep your target heart rate within this zone until your body becomes more accustomed to physical exercise. This zone can also be used as a warm up zone for more experienced walkers.

Lower body fat
Lower blood pressure
Lower Cholesterol
Lower risk of degenerative diseases
Low Injury risk
85% calories burned are fats

Once you have built up endurance by working out in the warm up zone, you can then move up to the fat burning zone. Many of the benefits of the warm up zone still apply here but the body is working at a more intense pace, therefore burning more calories overall.

Lower body fat
Lower blood pressure
Lower Cholesterol
Lower risk of degenerative diseases
Low Injury risk
85% calories burned are fats

Working your body in the aerobic zone is good for those wishing to improve their cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It also has benefits if you are training for an endurance event, as this zone helps to build up the size and strength of your heart.

This zone involves working your body at a much higher level than the previous zones and is only advised for those accustomed to exercise programmes. Working in the anaerobic zone improves cardiovascular and respiratory systems as well, which in turn means that you will have increased endurance.

More calories are burned in this zone overall
15% calories from fats
Very intense zone
Improved cardiovascular and respiratory systems
Increased endurance, lower levels of fatigue

The only thing you really need to start an effective walking programme is a good pair of walking shoes or boots. Things that should be taken into account when choosing walking shoes are:

Support
Cushioning
Flexibility
Gait problems (foot alignment)
Other foot problems
Weight
Stride
Walking Distance
Speed
Walking surface

The best walking shoes for you are ones than fits your individual feet. Footwear that may be great for your friend's feet may not be the best for you, so be careful before investing in pair of shoes.

Firstly it may be beneficial to discover what 'foot type' you are. This can be done with professional equipment such as foam boxes or foot impression paper (used by Podiatrists/Chiropodists and bespoke shoe makers) or alternatively a less accurate method is to dip you foot in water (or better still, paint) and put an imprint of your foot on an appropriate surface.

If a very thin line connects your ball and heel together you are high arched. If the band between the two areas is quite wide then you are normal arched. If the band is very wide and there is little indent where the arch should be you are flat footed

This is important in determining the type of support your foot needs when purchasing walking shoes.

Flat feet are more flexible and therefore need more stability from a 'motion control' shoe. Therefore the shoes should be rigid and stable

High arched feet tend to be more rigid therefore requiring a higher level of cushioning, and a narrower heel. The shoes should be light and flexible

Normal arches require a balance between stability and cushioning for shock absorbency purposes. Shoes should be quite flexible yet supportive.

The shoe should bend where the ball of the foot would be NOT where the arch of the foot would be. Running shoes may bend in the arch but this is not appropriate for walking shoes.

Shoes should curve in a way that compliments the natural rhythm of the walking motion. Place the shoes on a flat surface and push the toe of the shoe downwards. If the heel rises when you push the toe downwards then this natural curve will assist you when walking.

We would recommend that you get your shoes fitted by an expert who will analyse a number of different factors to ensure that you purchase the correct type of shoe.

If you do decide to visit an expert to fit you for shoes then the following advice may be helpful: -

Wear the socks that you wear for walking
Feet swell when we exercise so don't be surprised if your walking shoes are a size or even a size and half larger than your every day shoes
Try shoes on in the afternoon, as this is when they swell to their largest to account for the swelling
If shoes don't feel right when you try them on - it is unlikely they will ever feel right. It is a myth that shoes can be 'worn in
Consider looking in shops that offer various shoe widths that take into account the more wide or narrow foot.

Like walking, running is a great way to lose weight, get fit and feel great. However wearing the correct footwear is incredibly important when embarking on a running programme as your leg absorbs over three times your body weight as your foot strikes the floor, which can lead to foot or other injuries in the lower limbs.

Flexibility is important factor as too much tension on the calf caused by overly rigid soles increases the risk of injury to the muscles that run up the front of the shin, which can in turn lead to shin splints. Cushioning is also very important, as it is used to absorb impact as the foot makes contact with the floor.

Another issue that must be taken into account when choosing running shoes is pronation (where the foot rolls inwards) or supination (foot rolls outwards). Running shoes must account for this type of foot misalignment to prevent damage to the foot.

If you suffer from overpronation, it is advised that you invest in a pair of trainers that have motion control or enhanced stability. Shoes that are well cushioned and neutral without motion control should accommodate supinated feet.

In society today, trainers are often seen as a fashion accessory for a lot of people. However don't be fooled into believing that you can use fashion trainers for physical activity. Instead invest in a pair of trainers that you will use only for running.