Fitness: Walking for Wellness

Setting an easy daily or weekly goal can motivate you to walk for your health. Experts at Kaiser Permanente recommend at least 2½ hours of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, each week.

• Start with an easy short-term goal. For example, walk for 5 or 10 minutes every day. Or increase your number of steps by 300 to 500 each day.

• Set a longer-term goal after you’ve made walking a habit. You may want to set a goal of walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day. You can try to do this 5 days a week or more. Find a walking partner to stay motivated. This can be a family member, a friend, or a coworker. Daily dog walks are also a great way to keep up your walking routine.

How can you make a walking program part of your life? You can increase your walking in simple ways. These suggestions can get you started:

• Schedule walks on your daily calendar.

• Use a wearable device, a phone app, or a pedometer.

• Get up and move around once an hour at work.

• Take the stairs rather than the elevator.

• Walk to the grocery store, doctor appointments, work, school, or shopping when you can.

• Park farther than usual from your workplace or a store.

• Come walk at the Oregon Zoo. Get a Zoo Membership and walk here as often as you like. Join at: www.oregonzoo.org/membership