Walking for cardiovascular fitness

Possibly the oldest way of getting fit, walking is something everyone can do. It requires no special clothing although most people find walking more comfortable if they are wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. Walking as little as 30 minutes a day you can burn fat, improve health and increase your metabolism.

Naturally, walking works best when you spare more than half an hour a day. Ideally 45 minutes to an hour a day will provide a wide range of health benefits such as reducing your risk of heart disease and obesity.

The great thing about walking is you can walk anywhere. For instance, you can walk to or from work, which builds in exercise to your daily routine. Even getting off the bus a stop or two early can really help you build your walking fitness. As with all exercise it's recommended that you start with a slow pace, and as your stamina and leg muscles develop, you can increase both your distance and speed of walking.

If you live in a city you can practice the art of urban rambling, or if you live in the countryside you can find some pleasant rural rambles to stretch your legs out on. Serious walkers sometimes invest in a pedometer, a small device that calculates how far and how fast you have walked, and some of the more sophisticated ones calculate the amount of calories you have burned. This and a lot of water to replenish you make this an ideal low impact workout.