5 Tips to Start a Walking Routine

The toughest thing about starting a fitness regime is developing a habit. These tips will help you succeed!

• Plan a route. Nearby parks can provide you a safe place to walk and give you a nature fix, which has been shown to lower stress and increase happiness.
• Make it entertaining. Hopefully, you are able to recruit a friend or coworker to join you on your Monday Mile. If not, bring along exercise music to keep you moving at a quick tempo.
• Side walk. Walking sideways burns 78% more calories than walking forward. Lateral motion takes extra effort by putting your body to work in unfamiliar ways.
• Stretch afterward. Stretching may help you maintain flexibility without hurting your muscles.
• Find ways to move all day. Try moving around for 10 minutes every hour throughout your day, whether it's simply standing up while you talk on the phone, walking the stairs for a few minutes to clear your head, or delivering a message to a colleague by foot rather than email.