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BLOCK 1: WALK FOR 15-20 MINUTES WITH A DISTANCE GOAL OF 0.5 TO 0.8 MILES: Welcome to your beginning walking training program! Walking is often called the best form of exercise because it doesn't place any heavy strain on the tendons of the foot and leg. Thus, if you're just starting a fitness program, walking is a good first training stage because you usually won't get injured. This program is designed to take you up to just over two miles in a four-week period. However, you can build your mileage more slowly than that if you need to. In future training messages we'll talk about when you should increase your walking, how you'll know whether to increase it, and what to do depending on what your body's telling you. For today, warm up by walking slowly and easily for three to four minutes. Then walk briskly for 15 to 20 minutes, with a full swing of your arms. If walking briskly feels too difficult, maintain a pace that's comfortable for you. Your distance goal for today is about 0.5 to 0.8 miles (we'll talk more about estimating distance in a future workout); but again, if you find today's walk challenging, just walk for the specified amount of time and don't worry about how far you get. This 15- to 20-minute walk is your "main conditioning session," that is, the part of your workout that actually improves your fitness level. Note that this main conditioning session does not include your warmup or cooldown time. When you've walked briskly for 15 to 20 minutes, cool down by walking easily for five to six minutes.
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