You're ready to start a walking program or pump up the volume on your current walking habits. Where do you start?
1. Your present fitness/activity level
Total Beginner
How to Walk for the Absolute Beginner: Step by step guide to preparing, how to walk, how often, far and fast.
Let's Get Walking: This 4-week daily email course will get you walking. The goal is to be able to walk for 30 minutes or more, 5 or more days per week.
Step Counters: 4 Week Pedometer Walking Program: Get started walking with a pedometer.
Walking Regularly But Want to Walk More
Build the Walking Habit: how to get into the habit, set and achieve goals.
Weekly Walking Workouts: Put variety into your walking workouts and pump up your walking schedule.
Walking Techniques and Tutorials
Active, want to build speed or endurance
How to Walk Faster: Step-by-step on how to gain speed.
Weekly Walking Workouts: Your Guide shares the workouts she learned from Dave McGovern.
2. Your Goals
Goal: Weightloss
How to Walk for Weight Control: Step by step on how to use walking to reach your weight goal.
Walk of Life 10-Week Program for Fitness and Weight Loss: Get fit, lose fat, feel great with this free 70-day program to help you walk for weight management. Each day has a walking lesson, walking assignment, nutrition tip, healthy recipe, and motivation.
Articles: How to Lose Weight Walking
Goal: Participate in 10K walks <
Going on a Walk: How to walk non-competitive 10K walks with American Volkssport Association clubs.
The 10 Essentials for Walkers: Don't leave home without this stuff. Everybody's free to wear sunscreen.
: Learn Pace to Save Your Race: Dave McGovern on strategy for 10K races.
Walking Techniques and Tutorials: How to improve your walking.
Goal: Participate in marathons and ultras
Marathon Walking Training: A complete training manual for walking marathons.
Marathon Walking 19-Week Email Course: Free 19-week course will coach you through training to walk a marathon (26.2 mile) walking event. Each week you will receive an email newsletter with walking assignments and links to learn more in depth on how to train for a marathon walk.
Half-Marathon Walking 16-Week Email Course: Free 16-week course will coach you through training to walk a half-marathon (13.2 mile) walking event. Each week you will receive an email newsletter with walking assignments and links to learn more in depth on how to train for a marathon walk.
Marathon and Ultra Training Articles
Goal: Compete in racewalking and walking fast
How to Racewalk: Our tutorial on the basic techniques of racewalking.
Goal: Hiking, rugged walking
Tips and Techniques for Trails: Team Oregon's Patti Finke takes you off-road.
Llama Trekking: Your Guide goes backpacking the easy way -with friendly llamas carrying the load.
Trek and Tour Net Links: Plan the dream trip to get away from it all - on foot.
3. What You'll Need to Start Walking
- Tracking Your Walk Tools
Walking calendars and logs
- Shoes
Walking Shoe Guide: Step by step on how to find and fit the right shoes for you.
Shoe Articles: How to buy shoes for your foot type, lacing, insoles, links to shoe manufacturers and online sales.
- Other Gear
Sports Bras: Essential gear for women.
Clothes for Sweating in Winter: If you walk fast and sweat, you need something besides cotton.
Clothing and Gear Net Links: Dozens of links categorized by product type.
Heart Rate Monitors: How to choose and use a heart rate monitor.
Treadmills: Treadmills workouts, comparisons, where to buy.
Walking Sticks: How to select a good walking stick or hiking pole, and links to manufacturers.
Walking Poles: Like ski-poles, use these to increase your walking workout and decrease strain on your joints.
