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Southern Cross Health Features

Welcome to our online health and healthy lifestyle magazine. This information is necessarily of a general nature. You should always seek specific medical advice for treatment appropriate to you.

Walking for exercise

Walking for exercise needs to be more than just a leisurely stroll down to the shops, says Wayne Edgeler, an occupational therapist and fitness consultant who asks his clients to rate their “perceived exertion factor” from zero to 10.

“If 10 is so flat out you can’t talk to anyone, then you’re aiming for seven or eight,” he explains. “If you can have a conversation, but not do maths calculations, that’s probably about right.”

According to Edgeler, it takes 25 minutes of walking to deplete the body’s natural energy stores, so aim to break through that barrier by striding out for a minimum of 30 minutes, three or four times a week. Here’s his advice on how to get started:

First steps

Start your walking plan with this beginner’s programme for the first four to six weeks, then gradually increase one walk a week by five to 10 minutes.

Monday rest day
Tuesday 30 minutes
Wednesday rest day
Thursday 30 minutes (with some hills)
Friday rest day
Saturday 45 minutes to 1 hour
Sunday Active recovery: do some form of exercise other than walking or running

Picking up the pace

Keep motivated by trying different routes (drive somewhere new then walk from there or do your normal circuit in reverse) and challenge yourself by adding in extra hills.

“Walking on the flat burns fewer calories,” says Edgeler. “Once you push up around the one-hour mark, you’ll see real results.”

Monday 30 minutes
Tuesday 45 minutes to 1 hour (with hills)
Wednesday 30 minutes
Thursday 45 minutes to 1 hour (with hills)
Friday 30 minutes
Saturday 45 minutes to 1 hour
Sunday Active recovery

Check with your GP before commencing exercise, or if exercise causes pain or discomfort.