Have you fallen off the walking wagon? Sometimes, a short break in a fitness routine is just that—a short break. You get sick and need to rest or your life gets very busy and taking care of yourself falls off the “to-do” list for a few days or weeks and then you get right back to it. But, sometimes, a short break drags on and on for several weeks or months or longer. When that happens, you need to restart your walking program.

Our bodies are wonderfully adaptive—which is a great thing, but it also means your body will get used to not working out even quicker than it got used to working out. So, you cannot just go from no fitness walking for long periods of time to a gung-ho five mile walk without feeling it and maybe even hurting yourself.

Here’s how to restart your walking program after a lapse (or hiatus as they call it in Hollywood):

1—Make sure your shoes still fit and are in good condition. If not, go buy some new ones. New, great-fitting shoes can help put a spring in your step, and are essential to a good walking program. An excellent idea is having a couple pair so that you can alternate daily if you walk a lot. Replace them after six months or 500 miles.

2—Start SLOWLY. It’s so tempting when you are all revved up and ready to get out there and really go, but make yourself start with a longer warm up when it has been awhile since you’ve walked. If you used to warm up for five minutes, make it ten for the first week or so.

Not only are you protecting cold muscles this way, but periods of inactivity lead to shortening (and often some atrophy) of the muscles. Going too fast or too aggressively too early can easily cause a pulled muscle, delaying your progress even longer.

3—Start with half your “normal” time. If you were walking an hour at a time before your break, start with thirty minute walks. If you were walking thirty minutes, start with fifteen. Do this for the first week and then listen to your body as you add time in five or ten minute increments.

4—Set a goal. Having a goal helps make your commitment more concrete. Here are some sample goals:

Walk twenty minutes every day this month.

Walk five days a week for twenty minutes each time.

Walk two miles a day.

Walk ten miles a week.

Walk 3,000 steps a day.

All of these goals can be increased as you get back in shape. Keep challenging yourself.


5—S-T-R-E-T-C-H a lot. I only recommend stretching warm muscles, so walk at a slow pace for at least five minutes to warm up before you stretch. If you are not power-walking and you walk at an easy-to-moderate pace, you can save your stretching for after your walk. Your muscles will be warm then and stretching will feel very good. I think every walking session should be followed up by a nice stretching session.

Remember, never bounce when stretching. Hold your stretches for a minimum of ten seconds.

It’s never too late to restart your walking program, and today is a great day for it! Follow these five steps and soon you will be surpassing your own goals!


Try this DVD for stretching in just ten minutes:



This pedometer is the one I use:



If you are having trouble staying motivated, come by the Walking Forum for fun, free advice and friends!