6 week guide for Walkers: Level One                    

Week one:

Monday: Warm up by doing some arm circles, hip rotations, then start walking easy for 5 minutes.  You may want to stop and stretch your hamstrings and lower calve muscles 2 minutes. Then walk 5 minutes at a normal stroll pace, ease up to a slow slow walk a few minutes, then walk for another 5-10 minutes before stretching.  Stretch your Achilles area and calves using the side of a curb or step is best way to do this one.  Then stretch hamstrings, hips, and slow arm circles again.
 
Tuesday: Choice  A good workout would be doing an easy stretching and strengthening class or tape.  (50 plus fitness, Pace, or my Fit and Fun show on PBS good choices)
 
Wednesday: Try timing yourself at a local track for ½ mile or one mile depending on your level of fitness.  Don’t overdo it but see how long it takes you to walk the distance.  If you need to, measure in your car a half mile around your neighborhood etc. or use a mall.  Most will know how many laps equals a half mile or mile.
 
Thursday: Off or do 15 20 minutes of stretching and strengthening with light weights.
 
Friday: Option  Warm up first with easy trunk twist, arm stretch, knee lifts then walk 15-20 minutes.  You may want to stop half way through, to take a drink from water bottle or fountain.
 
Saturday:  Walk 3-5 minutes longer than your longest recent walk.  Just keep the pace easy and stretch afterwards.   

Sunday: Rest day if you have already gotten in 3-4 days. Record how you have done this week as far as exercise and eating habits.
 
 No pain no gain is not true for getting in shape.  Don’t over do it!
                                    

Week Two:

Monday: Walk at a comfortable pace for 15-20 minutes.  If you need to slow down and get a quick drink of water, you can do that every 5 minutes. Afterwards spend 5 minutes stretching.

Tuesday: Try doing the Fit and Fun workout on Channel 2/15 at 7 am.  If you want to see who will be on the show each day, log into covenanthealth.com on the computer or send me your email and I’ll include your name on email list that I use to send out weekly shows. If you don’t do the show, then take 30 minutes and alternate stretching exercises with a strengthening one. Do a set of 12 repetitions.  After you do 5-6 exercises, you could do the same round of exercises once more.  Do 3-4 for arms and 1-2 for legs.

Wednesday:  Walk ¾ of a mile to one mile.  Keep a steady pace then stretch good afterwards.    At night do 3 sets of 20 abdominal curls.  Remember to do them slowly and keep knees bent and only come off floor 4-6 inches.

Thursday:  Easy Aerobics class/tape or do Fit and Fun class on TV at 7 am. 50 plus fitness or PACE classes excellent choices.  Call 541-4500 for a list of classes.

Friday: Off

Saturday:  Add a little more distance to your longest walk.   Keep a good steady pace, but take a break half way through to get a drink of water.

Sunday: Choice   
Variety is a key to staying fit!  Try a different exercise each week.
                                           

Week Three:

Monday: Walk 5 minutes normal pace, now pick up your pace a little for one minute, then back off to normal pace for 1 minute and repeat this for 6 more minutes. Then cool down at a slow pace for 3-5 minutes.

Tuesday: Strength Work Out day: Stretch first then do two sets of 8 repetitions on every exercise.  Stretch between different exercises.

Wednesday:  Ride stationary bike 15-20 minutes or walk on treadmill.  Half way through workout, you could pick up the pace for 2 minutes then ease off 1 minutes then pick it back up for 2 minutes.

Thursday: Choice of strength work or class

Friday; off

Saturday: Add a few minutes to your longest walk so far.  You may want to try different routes.

Sunday: Good family day, try something active
                                            

Week Four:

Monday: Walk 5 minutes easy, 5 minutes at a quicker pace, 5 minutes easy, 2 minutes at a quicker pace then 3-5 minutes easy and then stretch. (Interval training)

Tuesday: Strength day.  You can do 3 sets of 8 of each exercise.   Stretch good between the different exercises.  You can add abdominal curls and pushups against a counter top as good exercises.

Wednesday:  One mile at a good steady pace.  Afterwards do some extra arm circles and stretch out good.

Thursday: Off

Friday:  15 minutes of some form of exercise

Saturday: Long walk session. Add on 5 minutes or ¼ mile to your longest walk so far.

Sunday: Your choice

Intervals of normal pace, mixed with faster efforts are a terrific way to get more out of your exercise.  We often slow down and forget to concentrate on our pace.  But by having short intervals of time to “push” harder, we can stay focused and keep our effort up.
                                                     

Week Five:

Monday: 1-½ miles.  Start out easy pace then see if you can pick up pace of walk towards the middle.  Then make sure you slow down before the end.  Stretch out afterwards and do 3 sets of 12 abdominal curls.  Stretch back again afterwards.

Tuesday: Fit and Fun class on PBS, or try a 50+pace class, which is good for Range of Motion.

Wednesday: 20-30 minute walk.  Maybe try a mall to walk in today etc. Just keep a comfortable pace but remind yourself to swing arms a little more.

Thursday:  Stretching and strengthening for 15 minutes

Friday:  Off

Saturday: Up that longest walk again.  This should be longest one yet, and over 2 miles.

Sunday: Recovery day or do something active with family, grandkids etc.

Week Six:

Monday: You are doing great! Keep it up.  Try walking ½ mile easy (8-11 minutes) then pick up pace for half mile (7-10 minutes) then do the quicker half mile again then the slower one.  Keep moving and be able to talk still or say something while you walk.

Tuesday: Pace Class or Stretching tape or class would be good.

Wednesday:  Today or Friday you could time yourself on a mile or half-mile like you did during week one. Try to do this on the same route or track.  Walk and stretch a few minutes before this workout and cool down with 2-3 minutes of slow walking with stretching once you are done with your mile.

Thursday: Your choice.  If you haven’t done any strength work, you could do 15-20 minutes of that today.

Friday: off unless you need to do the timed mile.

Saturday: Your longest walk to date, and keep good form and don’t get too out of breath.
 Stretch good afterwards.

Sunday: Family fun, like hike and picnic etc.

Before progressing to Stage 2 you could repeat this 6 weeks program to make sure you are ready to add more intensity or distance.  Or you can do your normal walking program 3-4 times per week for two weeks before starting Stage 2. It’s up to you.