The easy way to start a healthy walking routine

Walking is one of the cheapest and easiest forms of exercise and has been shown to improve health, reduce blood pressure, and help in weight loss programs. Here are a few ways to get that walking routine started.

Making walking a part of your daily routine is one of the best ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you haven't exercised in a while, see your doctor for advice before beginning a new routine. Make sure you have good walking shoes; trainers are fine for a walk around the block, but a more strenuous hike may require walking boots. One of the best ways to start out is to just take a walk around the block or your local park.

Feeling good? Then think of ways to take walks during your daily routine. What about getting off the subway one stop earlier and walking the rest of the journey to work? During your lunch hour, take a short walk around the office block or to a local café and back. Don't forget to use the stairs in place of the elevator as this also burns calories and tones muscles. Soon you'll be walking without even thinking about it.

Once you're happy with a short walk, start thinking about longer distances. Circular walks are good, so you end up where you began without a return journey. See if your local tourism office has a walking tour of your town to discover places you didn't know existed. Check out walking guidebooks which feature short walks under five kilometres. These are perfect for a pleasant day out walking.

Think about joining a local walking group as a great way to meet new friends whilst on a walk, and you'll have some company when visiting a new area. You can also use apps like Map My Walk which shows you where you have walked, tracks how far you have come and tells you how many calories you burned. Walk briskly to make sure your muscles are working well, but don't forget to pace yourself and stop for a rest or a drink of water now and again.

Once your walking routine has developed well, start thinking of walking holidays where you trek in mountainous areas and beautiful countryside. Once you are a regular walker, the world is your oyster and a weekend in the Rockies or even the Swiss Alps is not that hard to imagine.

As a result of building a regular walking programme into your life, your heart health will improve too. Get those walking shoes on today.