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Is it possible to get in shape when you are really far gone? -- Sarah, New Jersey

I really appreciate getting this question because it seems like a lot of fitness information out there is meant for the person who is already exercising. For a newly minted novice, a quarter mile may as well be a 100-mile trek. If you're at this point, it's OK to consider lacing up your walking shoes to a victory -- because it is!

I think too many fitness plans ranked in the beginner category are lofty and thus discouraging. So here, I've come up with an ultra-basic workout schedule with the ultimate goal of completing a two-mile walk. If you're starting from absolute zero (i.e., you're overweight, you're sedentary and you haven't worked out in years), expect it to take you six to eight weeks to make this one happen, and when you do, shout "woo hoo!" You should feel proud when you accomplish this.

In fact, you may be starting from minus one, so if takes you longer than that, that's OK, too. Just stick with it and do as much as you can every day, even if it's just a tiny bit. I promise you, consistency is what will get you to the finish line. I chose a two-mile walk as a good starter goal because it's within the grasp of most people and doesn't require joining a gym or buying a lot of fancy equipment. Fewer barriers equals fewer excuses not to at least try.

All you need is a decent pair of walking shoes, a measured course, and a stopwatch or sports watch with a chronograph. If you're a woman, wear a sturdy, supportive sports bra, too. Dress appropriately for the weather, of course. You don't have to break the bank for the walking shoes; pass up the shelf with the $100 to $200 models and opt for something in a more modest price range. Most shoes that cost around $40 to $50 should offer you enough support and cushioning to get you through this program without feeling aches and pains. However, be advised that most people experience some muscle pain and mild discomfort in the first few days when their muscles are waking up after a long layoff.

Consider doing your walks at a local running track or park path with distance markers to make it easy to keep track of your distance. If neither is available, drive around a quiet area in your neighborhood and note quarter-mile landmarks on your odometer until you have measured off two miles. (If even that isn't feasible, that's fine, too. Just assume that in the beginning, a quarter mile is equal to about six minutes.) Oh, and keep a journal. It's motivating.

To start, walk a quarter of a mile and time it. Try to walk almost every day of the week noting the time and the intensity. (It's OK to miss a day here or there.) Aim for a moderate intensity: On a scale of one to 10, where 10 is the hardest workout you can imagine, you want your session to feel somewhere between five and eight. When you evaluate intensity, consider how hard your heart is pounding, how deeply you're breathing, the pressure on your joints and the overall difficulty of accomplishing the task. The time it takes you to complete the distance will gradually drop as you get fitter.

Once you can walk a quarter mile at a five or lower intensity at least three days in a row, increase to a half mile at least one to two days of the week. After that, gradually increase the number of days you can do half a mile, until you can walk that far every single workout. When you can do half a mile at a five intensity or lower at least three days in a row move up to three-quarters of a mile at least one or two days a week and so on until you can complete the two miles. Stick with a five-days-a-week minimum schedule.

At around week three of this program, consider adding a two- to three-days-a-week basic strength-training program. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something that hits all the major muscle groups and works on overall body strength and tone. There will be plenty of time for fine-tuning later. You should also consider taking a good look at your eating habits. I'm not a huge fan of diets, but I do think everyone can benefit from a nutritional tune-up. In most cases, just monitoring portion control and making an effort to eat plenty of fruits and veggies will get you better results than the latest whack-a-doodle diet.

I hope this inspires you to spring up off the couch and get moving. Those of you who have been there, what further tips do you have to share for those just taking their first steps towards a healthier lifestyle? The best motivation usually comes from those who have succeeded! Post your comments here or tweet them please.

More Stories to Get Started:
The 15-Minute Weight Workout
Tips on Starting a New Diet
Get Good Shoes
Find a Good Sports Bra

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Do toning shoes really work? - Sally, New York, N.Y.

Toning shoes, which are all the rage these days, are a style of shoe with a curvy-convex sole reminiscent of your granny's orthopedic footwear. Sketchers was the first mainstream shoe company to come out with a shoe in this category and to claim walking in them helps improve posture, ease back pain, sculpt the thighs and build a booty that Beyonce would envy, all without entering a gym or brushing past a dumbbell.

MBT was the first unstable shoe on the market and there has been a range of studies on their effects on body mechanics, although much of the research does not focus on muscle strengthening. Other companies (Reebok Easy Tone, Fit Flop, etc.) have followed along in MBT's footsteps to cash in the trend. Now New Balance has entered the ring with The Rock & Tone and True Balance.

Although a lot of complex data has been tossed around about this type of footwear, there's actually little research either proving or disproving the claims about toning. New Balance, like other brands, announced it had performed extensive testing on its models and declared it had evidence to back up the assertions made in its advertisements and press releases.

New Balance says it performed extensive consumer wear testing on The Rock & Tone and that consumers noted the toning effects in as little as one week. Furthermore, these results were supposedly substantiated in the lab by Dr. Joseph Hamill, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts and one of the world's experts on lower-extremity biomechanics, along with the scientists at the New Balance Sports Research Laboratory. The combined team did a variety of tests including electromyography (muscle activity), VO2 (oxygen consumption) and "blind" human perception testing. The True Balance press release pretty much echoes the same.

The problem with all of this? When asked repeatedly, New Balance would not -- or could not -- provide any real supporting data. Those of you who read this column on a regular basis know that when I discuss a topic, I often cite studies and nearly always link to abstracts or published investigations so you can see for yourself what sort of scientific evidence I am using to back up my arguments.

Whether we are talking about shoes, calories or fossils, I would never pass off a press release as a source unless I specifically say so, and then explain why I am falling back on such a shallow snippet of information.

When pushed, New Balance ultimately produced a three-slide PowerPoint presentation summarizing the investigation. It showed the shoes increased the activity in the muscles of the rear and back of the thighs by 16 percent, the front of the thighs by 29 percent and the lower legs by 14 percent; calorie burn was bumped up 10 percent.

Of course, there is no way to verify the truth of these statements, so I take them with a grain of salt. And even if they are true, the presentation says that the tests were performed on a mere 12 subjects. There is some subjective information gleaned from questioning an additional 48 volunteers. Not exactly enough to fill a stadium or even a local road race.

All of this comes on the heels of a newly released American Council on Exercise-commissioned study that looked at the toning shoe category, though not the New Balance models specifically. The investigation was performed by team of researchers from the Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.

Using what appear to be similar tests as the New Balance team (though again, it's hard to know), the researchers found that toning shoes do not deliver the fitness or muscle toning benefits they claim and that they simply do not offer any benefits that people cannot reap through walking, running or exercising in traditional athletic shoes. Granted, this study also had only 12 subjects, so it's difficult to draw any sweeping conclusions. But at least they've made their methods and conclusions readily available for all to see and evaluate.

That's Fit asked four women who are experienced toning shoe wearers to evaluate the New Balance shoes for themselves. All four gave both models high marks for comfort, though all said that any extra work, toning and calorie burn was "subtle at best." Interestingly, New Balance is pushing both shoes for their "aesthetic superiority," which is a fancy way of saying they look less orthopedic than the other toning brands, but all of our testers commented on how aesthetically inferior they felt the sneakers were. In other words, they thought the shoes were ugly. So there you go.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. Has anyone had success developing a bodacious butt from wearing these kicks? Lost some inches? Dropped a few pounds? Have you tried numerous brands and done your own comparison? Have you tried either type of the New Balance? I tried them both and thought they were comfy, but I, too, didn't feel much extra work by wearing them. And I also thought they were kinda ugly, like all the other entries in this category.

I'd just like to say that I am a big fan of New Balance shoes in general. As you can see from my previous review on minimalist shoe brands, they are one of my favorites in that category, and I continue to run in the New Balance 100s. Additionally, here is some more information on toning shoes. Post your comments here or tweet me.

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Continue reading Walk Off The Weight in 4 Weeks

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Provided by Prevention

Footwear for Nasty Weather

To prepare your feet for winter walking, often all you need is a pair of walking shoes and a thick pair of socks. Then as you warm up, your feet warm up too. Just make sure that your shoes can accommodate your socks, or your feet will get cold from lack of circulation.

For keeping your feet toasty on bitterly cold days or for navigating sidewalks that are wet, icy, or slushy, you may want more rugged footwear. One place to look is in the hiking-shoe display of your sporting goods store. Hiking shoes have heavy-duty soles that grip better on sloppy or uneven terrain. They have elevated foot beds (because of the thickness of the soles), so your feet are higher than the water or slush that you're walking through. They're often waterproof, or at least water-resistant. And their tough exteriors stand up to the elements better than the average walking shoe.

A pair of hiking shoes made for trekking dirt trails should provide enough flexibility for fitness walking. And if you're expecting to end up with a pair of big, clunky "stompers," you're in for a pleasant surprise. These days, you can choose from lots of low-cut styles that are very lightweight and comfortable. (To get a pair that fits well, check out our We Test It: Walking Shoes chart.)

Slippery Sidewalk Solution: Slippery sidewalks keep many people indoors during the winter months. But you can venture outside safely, provided you have the right equipment. Stabilicers are detachable soles that can make you so surefooted that you'd feel safe walking across a river of ice. Built like sandals with Velcro straps, they slide over your walking shoes quite easily. The top of the sole grips your shoe, while the bottom, which is imbedded with steel cleats, digs into ice and hard snow. They're perfect for winter walking or any slippery situation.

Stabilicers sell for about $40 a pair. You can buy them in many department stores and sporting goods stores as well as through mail-order catalogs.

Show Off Your Skin Smarts

When you're walking in wintry conditions, protecting your skin is just as important as protecting your feet. Cold and wind are no kinder than heat and sun. All can be quite drying. And don't let the chilly temperature fool you: The winter sun has ultraviolet rays that are strong enough to cause sunburn, age your skin, and increase your risk of skin cancer.

During the winter months, your hands and face are most vulnerable to the elements. You may wear gloves, only to have your hands get all sweaty as they warm up. But if you take off your gloves and expose your wet hands to the cold air, they may become chapped. That's why you should wear two pairs of gloves: thick ones on top, thin ones underneath. Leave on the thick pair until your hands feel warm, then slip them off and wear only the thin pair to protect your skin.

To save your face from the effects of wind and cold, invest in a ski mask. A thin one made from silk might be most comfortable, but check what's available. New, lightweight fabrics keep popping up everywhere.

If wearing a ski mask irritates your skin or obstructs your vision, you can go without one. But do wear a hat to keep body heat from escaping through the top of your head. To protect your face from the elements, first apply sunscreen and allow it to dry, then add a thick layer of a protective moisturizer, petroleum jelly, or hand cream. Choose a sunscreen that's waterproof with an SPF of at least 15. Be sure to reapply both layers if you sweat a lot or wipe your face frequently.

If there's snow on the ground, you need to be extra-vigilant about your sunscreen use. Snow reflects 85 percent of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays right back at you, nearly doubling your exposure. The average person gets about 19 hours of sun each week, regardless of the season. That exposure accumulates from routine activities, such as walking your dog and driving a car (UVA rays can penetrate most windows).

According to one dermatologist, if you don't wear sunscreen between September and May, the damage to your skin could be the same as if you spent about eight straight summer weekends on the beach. Unfortunately, while 52 percent of Americans wear sunscreen in the summer, only 2 percent bother to slather it on in the winter. So here's your chance to do something good for your skin.

Previous Winter Walking Tips


More From Prevention:

• Indoor Fat-Blasting Walking Workouts
• Meet 5 Flat Belly Foods
• What Your Waist Size Reveals

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Follow these simple steps to prevent Old Man Winter from putting the kibosh on your outdoor walking workouts.

For most people, outdoor cardio exercise may be safer in cooler weather than on hot, humid days. Your body temperature rises as you walk, so when it's sultry outside, you're getting a double dose of heat. When it turns cold, on the other hand, you can regulate your internal temperature more easily. If you get too hot while you're working out, just slow your pace, open your jacket, or take off your hat or gloves. You'll solve the problem instantly.

Take Care When the Temp Drops

On chilly days, some of us need to take extra precautions before venturing out for cardio exercise. If you have any kind of heart problem, for example, you should consult your doctor before working out in the cold. As the air temperature drops, your body responds by constricting blood vessels, a process that pulls blood toward the trunk to feed your internal organs. When this happens, exercising puts extra strain on your heart as it tries to pump blood to your extremities.

Walking can relieve some of this strain by dilating blood vessels in your legs. The trick is to warm up slowly, to allow your body to adjust to the coldness. If you don't warm up when it's freezing outside, you could set yourself up for angina (severe chest pain) or a heart attack, says Roger Fielding, PhD, assistant professor in the department of health sciences at Boston University. That's why people have heart attacks when shoveling snow.

When you warm up, do it indoors, before exposing your body to the cold air. This reduces the strain on your heart, because your blood vessels become dilated. You'll feel better about going outside, too, because you'll be warm already.

Cold-weather cardio exercise can also be risky for people with diabetes. Because walking in the cold burns more calories to increase warmth, it steps up the body's demands for blood sugar (glucose). While this is a plus for most folks, it can cause those with diabetes to become hypoglycemic. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor for advice on managing your medications or your food intake to regulate your blood sugar level while you exercise.

You also need to be concerned about developing frostbite, as people with diabetes tend to have poor circulation in their extremities. Warm socks, gloves, and a hat are essential. If you experience loss of feeling in your feet or fingers while walking, head indoors as soon as you can and check whether your skin looks blue. This condition, called cyanosis, is the first sign of frostbite. You need to see your doctor immediately.

Frigid temperatures don't mix well with asthma either. If you have this respiratory condition, you already know that inhaling cold air can trigger an attack. (In fact, some people experience asthma-related breathing problems only when they work out in cold weather.) Wearing a mask or scarf over your nose and mouth can help prevent an attack by warming up the air before it reaches your bronchial tubes. That way, the tubes are less likely to go into spasm. If covering your nose and mouth doesn't help, consult your doctor for advice on adjusting your medication for cold-weather cardio exercise.

In fact, if you have any chronic health problem, you may want to check with your doctor before you do cardio exercise in the cold. He can tell you what precautions to take, if any. Or he may advise you to do your walking indoors.

Layers Keep Out the Cold

If you are heading outdoors, you need to dress for the chilly temperatures. Twenty years ago, that would have meant donning flannel underwear, a wool sweater, wool pants, a heavy wool coat, and thick wool socks to protect you from the cold. You'd be so bundled up that you could barely move.

These days, when you dress for wintry conditions, less is more. Thanks to an array of high-tech textiles, you can be warm and dry and still have freedom of movement. New fabrics insulate, block the wind, and wick away moisture without bulk or heaviness.

Still, dressing in layers is your best bet. That way, you can adjust your attire as you go, according to the weather and your level of activity. For the innermost layer (the one closest to your skin), choose light garments made from a synthetic fabric such as polypropylene, which wicks away perspiration from your body. That should be topped off with an insulating layer--a sweater, a sweatshirt, or a fleece pullover--for warmth. For the outermost layer, or shell, you want a garment that protects you from wind and rain. The fabric should be waterproof, as opposed to water-resistant (which is designed to keep you dry in a light mist). It should also be breathable--meaning that it allows water vapor to escape without actually letting water in.

The new synthetic fabrics do a better job of keeping you warm and dry than either wool or cotton. When you're shopping for cold-weather cardio exercise wear, read clothing labels and try on a variety of garments to get a sense of what's out there. You'll be amazed at how comfortable you can be, even at extremely cold temperatures.

Continue for more ways to Winterize Your Walks


More From Prevention:

• Indoor Fat-Blasting Walking Workouts
• Meet 5 Flat Belly Foods
• What Your Waist Size Reveals

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Whether you need a nudge out the door, training inspiration, or a reason to keep going, here are some enthusiasm boosters.

Make it a game.
Walk as long as it takes to spot, say, three red cars. Then set a new game objective, and keep on walking.

Follow a new lead.
Let your dog set the pace.

Entertain a party.
Plan a progressive dinner where each course is a walk away from the next. Start with healthy appetizers at one house, the main course at the next stop a couple of miles away, and dessert at the third.

Travel an unmapped course.
Don't plan your route. Instead, make decisions at every turn based on what looks interesting. Follow a curious-looking winding street to its end, or a hill to its top view.

Dust 'em.
Pick a walker on your path who seems a bit more fit and faster than you. Then try to pass her.

Enjoy a mini-getaway.
Plan an itinerary that takes you and a friend on a brisk, hour-long walk ending at a coffee shop. Or have breakfast before heading off for your favorite antique store, then browse awhile before starting for home.

Feed the birds.
Bring along bread crumbs or maybe the Sunday paper to read on a stop in the park.

Play it by ear.
For an interval workout, bring your MP3 player. Speed up whenever you hear a fast song.

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Courtesy of Prevention

• Feel Younger
• Find Healthier Meals
• Start Walking Today!

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Whether you're looking to boost your energy, slim down, de-stress, or firm up, these strategies will show you what you need to meet your goals:

Start with the right equipment. When it comes to walking, shoes are your most important walking gear. To get off on the right foot, you'll want to be sure to protect your feet, legs and back (they are all connected) with sturdy strolling shoes. They'll protect you from pavement pounding injuries so you won't get sidelined. If your sneakers are more than six months old it's time for a new pair.

Have a plan. People who follow a formal walking program are more likely to stick to their goals than those who just say they'll walk most days of the week. Check out our walking calendars. You'll find plans for beginner walkers, weight loss, half-marathon and marathon training, as well as tons of information about walking.

Know your zone. Whether you use a heart rate monitor or a 1-to-10 self-rating scale, exercising at the right intensity will help you lose weight and get fit faster. Maintaining your walks at a fat burning and fitness-building zone will increase your results.

Reward yourself. Healthy fitness-related treats are a great way to keep you motivated on your walking plan. A new pair of shoes, workout pants, and even socks, are all perfect and appropriate rewards. Plan to positively reinforce yourself with some sort of gift for every month of walking you successfully complete.

Plan alternatives. On days when the going gets tough--get creative. If you can't make your regular 30-minute walk, break it up into doable chunks. Do 10 minutes in the morning, 10 at lunch and 10 after dinner.

Don't let the weather keep you down either--walk at the mall, on a gym treadmill, or pop in a DVD.

Get support. Working out with a buddy may up your chances of success by making exercise feel easier. When 24 women walked or ran on a treadmill, those who received positive feedback such as "Great job," "Keep going," or "Excellent work" reported their workouts felt easier compared with women who received no encouraging words. The Bloomsburg University researchers weren't sure whether the cheerleading motivated exercisers or distracted them from discomfort. Even if your buddy isn't available during exercise--ask for friends and family to cheer you on.

Listen to your body. If you find yourself feeling overly fatigued, or if you have a fever--stay home. Walking when you aren't well will only make you feel worse. If you rest, you'll get back on your feet faster. While you're walking, it's normal to feel some discomfort as you push your body out of its comfort zone. As long as you feel good, go for it, but if you experience pain, nausea, or dizziness, you need to back off.

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Provided by Prevention

Here, an expert answers the most frequently asked questions about specific walking-related issues.

Back to Basics

Q: What's the best time of day to walk?

A: It varies from one person to the next. To me, any time of day is perfect. In the summer, I love to walk in the mornings, when it's cool and the sun is up early. In the winter, I usually try to walk on my lunch hour, since that's the warmest part of the day. The fresh air revitalizes me for the afternoon, plus I get a healthy dose of vitamin D from the sun's rays.

The real question is, when are you most willing and able to walk? That's the best time for you.

Q: Should I eat before I walk?

A: Again, it varies from one person to the next. I almost always eat something before I leave on my morning walk. I just feel better. But if I'm planning to go at a brisk pace or to do some interval training, I'll keep my breakfast small and simple--maybe a piece of fruit, or some low-fat or nonfat yogurt. The human body doesn't particularly like digesting food and exercising hard at the same time.

That said, a leisurely stroll after a large meal may enhance digestion and burn a few extra calories. But walking before a meal works just as well, provided you don't have any problems with your blood sugar. If that meal happens to be breakfast, be sure to drink a nice, tall glass of water before you head out. Your body may be somewhat dehydrated after a night's sleep.

*Excerpted from Prevention's Complete Book of Walking by Maggie Spilner (Rodale Inc., hardcover).

Q: What's the simplest way to determine how fast I'm walking?

A: The easiest way to gauge your speed without wearing a pedometer--or getting in your car and measuring mileage, which can be pretty difficult unless you walk along a street--is to count your number of steps per minute. The experts use this number to calculate pace, based on an average stride length of 2½ feet. (Stride length is the distance from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other foot when you're taking a step.) They've already done the math for you.

70 steps per minute equals 30 minutes per mile, or 2 miles per hour.

105 steps per minute equals 20 minutes per mile, or 3 miles per hour.

140 steps per minute equals 15 minutes per mile, or 4 miles per hour.

If you pay attention to your steps, after a while you'll be able to estimate your pace fairly accurately without bothering to count. You'll just know what a 20-minute mile or a 15-minute mile feels like.

Q: How many calories do I burn by walking a mile?

A: The average 150-pound person burns between 80 and 100 calories per mile. However, that number changes depending on height, weight, fitness level, terrain, clothing, temperature, and many other factors.

If your goal is to lose weight, forget about the numbers. Instead, develop a healthy eating plan that you can live with, and incorporate as much physical activity into your daily routine as possible, and walk for at least ½ hour a day.

Shoe Savvy

Q: When should I get new shoes?

A: Replace your walking shoes every 6 months or 600 miles, whichever comes first. At that point, it doesn't matter if the shoes still look great; they've lost a lot of their cushioning.

Next: More Expert Answers to Your Walking Questions

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1. Head for the Hills
Walking uphill is a great way to up the challenge without having to up your pace. Even if the hill is modest, you'll still work more butt and thigh muscles and burn more calories. Find a hilly outdoor course or set your treadmill to a 4-8 percent incline and either sprinkle the hills into your workouts or do repeats (Find a hill or increase the incline on the treadmill for 1.5 minutes, decrease incline and rest one minute on the flat). Repeat 6-8 times.

2. Swing, Swing
Although carrying hand weights while walking ups the calorie burn by almost 5 percent, the strain on your shoulder and elbow joints just isn't worth the risk. But since most of the additional calorie burn comes from the increased arm swing and not the weights themselves, you can still give your walk a boost by swinging your arms more forcefully and in a bigger arc for similar benefits with no risk!

3. Intervals
Short bursts of higher-intensity exercise will work wonders for your butt and thighs (ever wonder why sprinters have such amazing assets?). If you're not ready to do an all-out sprint, try alternating fast and slow intervals. Walk at a slow pace for two minutes, a moderate pace for two minutes and then a really quick pace for two minutes. Repeat the pattern three to six times and start feeling the burn.

4. Get on the Poles
Poles are a great alternative to hand weights because they're safer, they involve more muscle groups and, according to some studies, they can skyrocket calorie burn by almost 33 percent! You can use them on the track, on the roads or even in the mall. Although very popular in Europe but just catching on here, pole walking or Nordic walking is not only effective, it also gives you a wonderful gliding feeling. And depending on the angle in which you push on the poles, you will use various different muscles in the arms and back.

5. Listen to Your Heart
To get the most out of your walk, you need to pay attention to your heart rate and aim to work out at 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate or effort. Subtract your age from 220 to quickly estimate max heart rate, but keep in mind that this formula is not 100 percent accurate; getting it tested by a knowledgeable trainer or doctor is your best bet. Another option is simply bypassing heart rate all together and grading your intensity by how you feel on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being very easy and 10 being an all-out effort. If you choose this method, make sure to stay between 6 and 9 during the majority of the workout (excluding the warm up and cool down where you should stay between 3 and 5).

By upping the challenge and intensity of your walking workouts, you'll burn more calories, tone and tighten your butt and thighs and increase your fitness level. Integrate these tips into your routine at least three to five times a week for 30 minutes per day and start seeing your body change.

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