I have a theory. It’s that famous work ethic or ours. While it’s great for advancing careers, building nations and generally making sure the job gets done, we just can’t seem to leave it at the office. Here’s a little test. Do you say, I’m working on my golf game, or, I’m standing in the sun having a great time with friends, sipping an ice cold and occasionally knocking a little white ball around in the grass? You see, it simply sounds more excusable to say, I’m working, than, I’m having fun.

So, how does this relate to an article on walking? And why would a company that makes things that go on wheels want to interest you in hoofing it? After all, you can just hop in your coach or your tow vehicle and get there faster. (Well, unless you’re on the L.A. freeway.) One answer suffices for both questions: FUN. Life, as most any RV enthusiast knows, is meant to be fun–if it wasn’t, God wouldn’t have invented motor coaches. And walking is one of those rare birds that is not only fun to do, it increases your capacity for fun in many other areas of your life. This makes it the ideal exercise for those who hate exercise.

I happen to be one of them. I’m also a walker, for fun, relaxation, pleasure, sight-seeing, anything but exercise. So when the editor of this esteemed magazine asked me to do this article I said, “walk in the park.” Then I turned to research and discovered what a serious business it is indeed. After all, there’s the proper shoes to consider, proper posture and stride, heart rates, weight loss ratios, walking related injuries, warm up exercises... Argh! I had no idea it was so difficult to head out the door for an invigorating stroll. It’s enough to make you stay in the coach, pop in a video and reap the aerobic benefits of hoisting a soda and a handful of popcorn. So here’s the deal. In this article I’ll give you all the hard facts about putting one foot in front of the other, including why walking is one of the very best exercises you could choose. And you’ll agree to, well, take it all in stride. And have fun. After all, the best exercise is one where you don’t know you’re exercising.

Take a Step Towards Health

Walking is so ridiculously good for you that if you were to choose just one means of improving your health and well-being it should top the list. For one thing, it’s so easy you can do it in your sleep. And, like the proverbial tortoise, walking makes jogging, running and other groan-inducing forms of exercise seem hare-brained. That is to say, while two out of three joggers are affected by injuries each year, walking produces the least injuries of any aerobic exercise. (Aerobic means with air, or oxygen; aerobic activities are low in intensity, long in duration, and increase cardiovascular capacity.) And since walking is a no sweat, or low sweat, activity you don’t need to dress as though you’re auditioning for a science fiction movie. In fact, the benefits of walking are so numerous that they warrant a list. Here goes:

Walking contributes to a longer, more vital life by cutting your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke, and helping to strengthen bones; strengthening the mind–aiding memory, planning and scheduling; improving sleep and mood; and contributing to weight loss.

To underscore these health benefits, a recent test involving thousands of women aged forty to sixty-five showed that just one hour per week of walking reduced the risk of heart disease by fifty percent! The study also showed that the amount of time spent walking was more important than the pace. (The official government recommendation is to walk for thirty minutes per day.) All of which makes walking a superb entry level exercise, one that you can start anytime, at your own comfort level and at any age. Even better, the benefits are not years in coming. They’re apparent within weeks. But there’s more than health benefits to walking.

Walk Don’t Run

Here’s a curiosity about human nature. The faster we’re able to go the faster we feel we should go. So each time a faster gizmo shows up we speed up to match it, which then necessitates an even faster gizmo for the next go round and so on. The result has been, I fear, the speeding up of everything for no particular reason, and the resultant devaluing of time so that, like inflated money, an hour is now worth about five minutes, a week is worth a day and a month is worth a week. It’s a wonder we have time to notice anything on our headlong rush to...where? Well, walking is the antidote to all that. In fact, were there no health benefits at all to walking this reason alone would more than enough to recommend it. Maybe it’s something about planting your feet on the ground with each step, but walking seems to reconnect you to the fact that you are a human being living on a planet full of lovely things better than anything else. Certainly better than jogging. So go ahead, let them pant past you as you saunter, checking their watches to make sure they’re getting in their time, checking their pulses, wearing their electro-space-alien uniforms. You, on the other hand, have time to stop and smell the roses. In fact, you have time to touch the roses, take a picture of them and learn their botanical names if you care to, before heading back to your walk. And you are rich in the knowledge that, if life is a process and not a goal, walking, not running, is the perfect metaphor. Of course, you are also secure in the knowledge that walking brings all the benefits of running, without the threat of injury.

Let’s look at it another way. If your coach opens up the highways and byways of the continent to you, walking uncovers the avenues, the secret little finds and the winding paths. It is the micro to your coach’s macro. I think of the town where I live–Eugene, Oregon–and I wonder what it must look like to someone driving through. Cute enough, probably, a nice northwestern town bisected by a river, not without its unsightly strips and fast food desolations. But what they would miss if they never walked here. The Saturday Market, where each weekend two downtown plazas fill with crafts booths and the proferred produce of the areas small farmers. Skinner’s Butte park with its ambling path along the Willamette River, replete with a ravishing rose garden. The Mount Pisgah Arboretum with its easy day hikes and guided botanical tours. Or even a short jaunt through the beautiful brick campus of the University of Oregon, ending up with a cup of coffee at a nearby cafe and perhaps a chat with a local. Clearly, the person who never sets an exploratory foot to pavement or path is like someone with their face pressed up perpetually against the window of the world. That, for me, is what walking is really all about.

All of which should have you chomping at the bit to get started. So, on to the preliminaries.

If the Shoe Fits

Look down. If you see feet at the ends of your legs then you possess the necessary equipment for walking. Now the only question is, what to put those feet in for a comfortable walk. The answer is highly technical–comfortable shoes. And the best advice in choosing them comes from the editors of Runner’s World. According to them, the ideal shoe for you is the one that fits your unique feet the best, gives you proper support, flexibility, cushioning and compensates for overpronation (also know as or flat feet, a common biomechanical problem that occurs in the walking process when a person’s arch collapses upon weight bearing). A well fit pair of running shoes will fill the bill for most walkers, although you may want to keep in mind that a more supportive hiking boot is better for trodding uneven or rocky ground. Since your feet can expand as much as half a size during the day, shop for shoes in the late afternoon, and be sure to wear the same socks that you will wear when walking.

“Let’s look at it another way. If your coach opens up the highways and byways of the continent to you, walking uncovers the avenues, the secret little finds and the winding paths. It is the micro to your coach’s macro.”

A quick word about feet. Walking is not a “no pain no gain” undertaking, so if you are experiencing discomfort down there your feet are probably trying to tell you something. Don’t try to walk it out. Listen. The list of complaints may include heel pain, tired and aching feet, corns and calluses, dry cracked heels, burning, cramping or numbness. These symptoms may be caused by anything from improper shoes to stride problems to actual biomechanical imbalances in your feet. Foot problems may even be the secret cause of back pain. Luckily, there are treatments for all of these problems. Dr. Kerry Zang of The Arizona Institute of Footcare Physicians recommends you see your doctor or a podiatric specialist if you suspect something’s wrong. After all, your feet absorb one and a half times your body weight with each step, so it seems only fair to offer them an ounce of prevention.

Getting Started on the Right Foot

No one wants to embark on an exciting new exercise program, with visions of vim and vigor dancing in their head, only to find themselves laid up for two weeks nursing a pulled muscle. Muscles that have been sedentary for awhile need to be gently warmed up and then stretched before kicking into gear. The best way is to start off at an easy pace, warming up for five minutes first. Then do a series of simple mobility exercises, stretching out the achilles tendon and calf muscles and extending the legs, before venturing on. Your doctor, a fitness club or a physical therapist may be able to provide a set of exercises. If not, you’ll find some excellent ones, plus loads more information on walking, on the Internet at: www.about.com/recreation/walking . And remember, a cool down period and stretches after your walk are equally important to maintain flexibility.

What if you haven’t exercised in years, or you have other concerns that you would like to check out before you step out? The Walk of Life Program recommends that you see your medical provider for a check-up or consultation before you begin your walking program if you have been sedentary for a year or more; you are over 65 and currently don’t exercise; you have been diagnosed with heart trouble, high blood pressure, diabetes; you have chest pain or often feel faint or have dizzy spells; you have any other medical conditions.

Walking is good for nearly everyone, at any age and at all levels of fitness. Your walking goals should fit your needs, and no one else’s. So go at your own pace. If you’re just starting out, go slowly. If you can comfortably walk fifteen minutes a day for a few days a week, great. Remember, it’s not a race and time spent walking is more important than either speed or distance. You can always increase your distance, frequency and pace as your fitness and energy improve.

Weighty Matters

Remember those feet I asked you to check out earlier? Well, if you find that you’re starting to have trouble seeing them, here’s another superb reason for walking. Who hasn’t had a few pounds sneak up on them while they weren’t looking? So...walk it off!

Walking at a moderate pace for thirty to sixty minutes not only burns stored fat, it helps speed up your metabolism. So imagine what a continuous walking program could do for you. It all comes down to simple math. If thirty five hundred calories equals a pound of fat, then you will have to expend more than thirty five hundred calories to lose that fat. Roughly speaking, a one hundred and fifty pound person will burn one hundred calories per mile. So if walk at, say, three miles per hour for an hour each day, it will take you about twelve days to lose a pound. And of course walking combined with a sensible diet will take those pounds off a little faster. Not a bad rate for healthy, sustainable weight loss, especially considering that, once you find yourself addicted to the healthy effects of walking, your newfound enthusiasm is going to keep you coming back for less.

A Closer Walk With Thee

In case you’re not convinced already, here’s one last, great reason for walking– companionship. Because unless you want a moment alone with your own thoughts, there’s no reason walking needs to be a solo sport. Since it’s an aerobic activity, you should be able to walk and talk freely at the same time. In fact, if you find yourself breathless, slow down, you’re probably working too hard. So why not join–or form–a walking group? It’s a wonderful way to meet new people, see new sights, perhaps plan special walking tours that you might not have taken by yourself. and add a whole new dimension to your life. Some groups bring in fitness experts to inform their members on the finer points of walking. Don’t know of a walking group in your area? If you’re an Internet person, you’re in luck. There’s scores of walking group pages on the web. Start with this one: www.ava.org/avaclub/avaclub.htm. It contains a state-by-state listing of groups.

You Can Walk But You Cannot Hide

Scientists have been looking for the cure for the common cold for decades without much luck. Researchers have spent billions seeking out cures for cancer. And yet, here you have a simple, fun exercise that’s good for nearly everything that ails you, that promises a fitter, fun-filled, longer life and clears your head and relieves the doldrums to boot. Without miracle drugs, extensive treatments or soaring doctor bills. And all the time it was right under your toes. No wonder it’s catching on like wildfire. So how about you? After reading this are you ready to head out that door or what? Because we’ve talked that talk. Now it’s time to walk that walk.

Freelance writer Peter Herring lives and works in Eugene ,OR. He writes articles on travel, food, wine and assorted lifestyle topics.

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