The good thing about walking as a form of fitness or exercise is that you can do it at your own pace. You do not need to follow a set of rules on how fast or slow you should go. That is why it is good for people of all ages. Fitness buffs can go for brisk walks as often as they can. Older people can go for leisurely walks whenever they can. Fast or slow walking both provides health benefits.

There are people however who want to monitor their pace, especially if they are following a walking fitness program. This you can do with a device called a pedometer. Counting your walking progress through a pedometer provides motivation to stick to your goals.

A pedometer is an affordable device that counts and adds up your steps. You can buy one in sports and fitness shops. You don’t have to get a fancy pedometer; there are simple ones that sell for $15 or less. Although there are really high-tech ones that can measure not only your steps, but the calories that you have burned as well as distance walked. Pedometers are usually attached to your wrist or strapped on your clothing.

Your pedometer is your companion in sticking to your walking program or fitness goals. To get started, use your pedometer for two to three days to measure the average number of steps or distance walked, which will serve as your benchmark or baseline. Then you can measure if you are meeting your target or not. You can revise your baseline as you increase the intensity of your walking exercise. A pedometer is not foolproof, since it accidentally counts other movements besides your footsteps. To avoid this, switch on your pedometer only when you are walking.

You can set two sets of goals, short-term and long-term. Short-term goals are usually less than 1,000 steps daily. Long-term goals range from 3,000 to 10,000 steps a day. The goals largely depend on the fitness or capability of the individual. The key is to set realistic goals and keep track of it through your pedometer. You can keep a journal also to record how many steps you take.

Again, fast or slow walking provides unbeatable health benefits, albeit at different levels. For instance, brisk walking, 15 to 20 minutes per mile is proven to increase secretion of a type of growth hormone that promotes bone formation and regeneration of tissues. Slow but long walks on the other hand build endurance and enhance insulin sensitivity, which helps prevent diabetic conditions.

In terms of weight control however, a study revealed that walking faster burns more calories than walking slower. The cited that walking at slow to moderate speeds of up to 3.5 mph (miles per hour) may provide consistent supply of energy, but this steadily decreases with increasing speeds. It further cited that approximately 33 percent more calories could be spent in walking at a given distance by increasing speed from 3.5 to 4.5 mph. Moreover, by increasing walking speed from 3.5 to 5 mph, nearly 50 percent more calories will be burned over a given distance.

David Jackson has been an internet marketer for 4 years. Essential information and powerful tools that will develop your knowledge and understanding on Weight Loss. Information can be found at http://how-to-get-six-pack.com/truthaboutabs/

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