"Excellence in Personal Training"

These guidelines will help make your walks effective and enjoyable.

• Maintain good posture: Stand tall but relaxed, keeping the abdominals slightly tight in order to hold the spine in proper alignment, keep a natural stride, and let the arms swing comfortably at your sides.
• Set goals: Determine specific goals, and plan days and times for walks. Have a place to walk indoors so bad weather won't keep you from reaching your goals. For example, use a walking exercise DVD at home or walk through a local mall on rainy days.
• Assess effort/intensity: This can be done using a pedometer, a heart monitor, or by calculating speed (miles per hour).
• Progress wisely: Consider your own conditioning, goals, and injuries. By keeping a record of your walks, you'll be able to better assess when you're ready to make your routine more challenging.
• Make walks fun and interesting: Walk with a friend. You'll have accountability and motivation, and most importantly, more enjoyable walks! Pick one of the many local scenic destinations like the Burke-Gilman Trail or Centennial Trail.