How to Start Walking for Exercise: Minutes, Pace, Safety

If you have been inactive, start slowly, see how you feel, and gradually increase how long and how often you are active. That advice comes from NIDDK: Staying Active at Any Size, which says you may begin with 5 minutes of physical activity several times a day, 5 to 6 days a week, and then gradually work up to 10 minutes per session, 3 times a day. Its walking tips say to warm up by walking more slowly for the first few minutes and to cool down by slowing your pace.

The same page says the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans define regular physical activity as at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. Another page says: "If you haven’t been active for a while, start low and build slow." It adds that many people like to start with walking and slowly increase their time and distance, according to NHLBI: Getting Started and Staying Active. This guide is general education, not personal medical advice.

Why does walking count as physical activity for the heart?

Aerobic activity moves your large muscles, such as those in your arms and legs, and makes your heart beat faster than usual. The page that says this, NHLBI: Types of Physical Activity, lists "Walking, hiking, jogging, running" among its examples of aerobic activity. It says aerobic activity is the type that benefits your heart and lungs the most, and that over time regular aerobic activity makes your heart and lungs stronger and able to work better.

When done regularly, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity strengthens your heart muscle, which improves your heart's ability to pump blood to your lungs and throughout your body. That statement is from NHLBI: Benefits of Physical Activity. The same page says regular moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity can lower your risk for coronary heart disease, and that inactive people are more likely to develop heart disease than people who are physically active.

NIDDK's page lists four things walking will help you do: burn calories, improve your fitness, lift your mood, and strengthen your bones and muscles.

A fact sheet kept on this site, At-A-Glance: Physical Activity and Your Heart, describes aerobic activity as "the type of physical activity that benefits your heart the most." The copy on this site is marked "Reproduced as archived reference, not current guidance."

How many minutes should a first walking plan start with?

One printed schedule starts at 15 minutes in total, of which 5 minutes are brisk. It is A Sample Walking Program in a booklet kept on this site, Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart, dated June 2006. The booklet says: "During each week of the program, try to walk briskly at least 5 days per week. Always start with a 5-minute, slower-paced walk to warm up, and end with a 5-minute, slower-paced walk to cool down."

The figures in the table are that archived publication's figures. The right-hand column is arithmetic added by this guide: the brisk minutes in one walk multiplied by 5, the booklet's "at least 5 days per week."

In the booklet's table the brisk walk grows by 2 minutes a week from week 1 to week 6 (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15) and by 2 or 3 minutes a week from week 7 to week 12 (18, 20, 23, 26, 28, 30). At week 12 the brisk walk is 30 minutes, and 30 × 5 = 150 minutes in a 5-day week. For week 13 on, the booklet's row reads "Continue," and its note says: "Gradually increase your brisk walking time from 30 to 60 minutes, most days of the week."

The In Brief version of the booklet, also kept on this site, says: "If you're just starting to be active, try brisk walking for short periods such as 5 or 10 minutes, and build up gradually to 30 to 60 minutes at least 5 days per week."

Can the minutes be split into shorter walks?

NIDDK's page says that if you don't have time for a long walk, you can take several short walks instead. Its example: instead of a 30-minute walk, add three 10-minute walks to your day.

An archived physical activity true-false quiz on this site says in its fourth answer that if you do not have 30 minutes in your schedule for an exercise break, you can "try to find two 15-minute periods or even three 10-minute periods." Its third answer suggests taking a walk for 10 to 15 minutes during your lunch break.

How fast is a brisk walk, and how do you warm up and cool down?

Brisk walking is a pace of 3 miles per hour or faster, NIDDK's page says. It describes a moderate-intensity activity as one that makes you breathe harder but does not overwork or overheat you.

On the institute's types page, moderate-intensity activity is a 5 or 6 on a scale of 0 to 10, and a person doing moderate-intensity activity can talk but not sing. The 2006 booklet on this site says that while walking briskly or jogging, you should be able to keep up a conversation without trouble, and adds: "If you can’t, move a bit more slowly."

Warming up before exercise gets your blood flowing, warms up your muscles, and helps you avoid injury, according to MedlinePlus: How to avoid exercise injuries. That entry says the easiest way to warm up is to exercise slowly for the first few minutes, then pick up the pace. It says to cool down by ending your routine at a slower pace for the last 5 to 10 minutes, which brings your heart rate and body temperature back to normal.

The MedlinePlus entry lists three things to avoid increasing all at the same time:

1. the number of days you exercise;
2. the length of time you exercise;
3. how hard you work out.

Who should check with a health care provider before starting?

The institute's getting-started page says healthy people who don't have heart problems don't need to check with a doctor before beginning moderate-intensity activities. It says to talk to your doctor about what types of physical activity are safe for you if you have a heart problem or a chronic disease, and it gives heart disease and diabetes as examples. The page gives the same advice for people who have symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness.

NIDDK's page says to talk with a health care professional before you start if you have problems moving or staying steady on your feet, or if you get out of breath easily. Its list of reasons to talk with a professional also includes a bone or joint problem, for example in your back, knee, or hip, that could get worse if you change your physical activity level.

The MedlinePlus injuries entry words it this way: "If you have not been active, or have a health condition, talk with your health care provider to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise." The tenth answer of the archived quiz on this site includes, in its list of people who should ask a doctor first, those who "are middle-aged or older and have not been physically active."

What shoes, clothes and routes do the sources recommend?

NIDDK's walking tips say to wear comfortable, well-fitting walking shoes with a lot of support, and socks that absorb sweat. The 2006 booklet on this site says to wear good shoes with adequate cushioning in the soles for jogging or walking.

For walking outdoors, National Institute on Aging: Exercising Outdoors, Safety Tips for Older Adults gives these route and visibility points:

• If possible, walk during daylight hours.
• Choose routes with places to sit in case you want to stop and rest.
• Walk on a sidewalk or a path whenever possible, and watch out for uneven ground or sidewalks, which are tripping hazards.
• Always walk facing oncoming traffic.
• During the day, wear light or brightly colored clothing. At night, wear reflective material on your clothing and carry a flashlight.

The aging institute's page says to check the weather forecast and, if it is very windy, cold, hot, or humid, to consider exercising inside instead. One option it names is walking in a temperature-controlled building such as a shopping mall.

For cold weather, that page says to watch out for snow and icy sidewalks and stairs and to dress in several layers of loose clothing to trap warm air between them.

For hot weather, the aging institute's page says to drink plenty of water and to wear clothes that let air circulate and moisture evaporate. A separate entry, MedlinePlus: How to avoid overheating during exercise, says to drink before, during, and after your workout, even if you do not feel thirsty. It also says to limit your training on very hot days and to try training in the early morning or later at night.

Which warning signs mean stop, and when is it a 911 call?

NIDDK's page says: "If you don’t feel right, stop your activity." It then lists warning signs and says that if you have any of them, "stop and seek help right away." The three signs it lists are:

• pain, tightness, or pressure in your chest or neck, shoulder, or arm;
• extreme shortness of breath;
• dizziness or sickness.

The MedlinePlus injuries entry gives the emergency instruction in these words: "Go to the hospital right away or call 911 or the local emergency number if: You have chest pain during or after exercise." The same entry says you should never feel pain when exercising and that, if you feel pain, you should stop right away.

The MedlinePlus overheating entry says: "Call 911 or your local emergency number for signs of heatstroke." Its signs of heatstroke include fever over 104°F (40°C), red, hot, dry skin, extreme confusion, and loss of consciousness.

The overheating entry lists four early warning signs of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, tiredness, thirst, and muscle cramps. As soon as you notice early signs of a heat illness, it says, get out of the heat or sun right away.

For pain in your joints, feet, ankles, or legs caused by your activity, NIDDK's page says to consult a health care professional to see if you may need to change the type or amount of activity you are doing. More pages on this subject are listed on the physical activity topic page.