Try walking to jumpstart your fitness

A fitness or wellness program can be like a battery in a car. Some of us have sluggish batteries or even dead batteries. Nothing is more frustrating than jumping in your car in the freezing cold and turning the key to hear only a whimper.

So do you need a jumpstart on your fitness program for 2010? Could you use a charge or some motivation to get the lead out and start moving again?

Always check with your physician before beginning any exercise program, especially if you're a man over 45 or a woman or man with cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.

You can do this program in the comfort of your home, outside or at the gym. This program is designed to build a base of cardio fitness to be added on to over the weeks to come. It can also be a great complement to the more advanced exerciser, as well. Always warm up at a slower pace for the first few minutes, and then cool down the last 2-3 minutes to accomplish the total time.

WEEK 1

Cardio: Walk for 15-20 minutes three days per week at a pace that you can talk without gasping for breath. The pace should be challenging for you, not a window-shopping pace. Try to keep moving the whole time.

WEEK 2

Cardio: Walk for 15-20 minutes four days this week at a little faster pace then the week before. Your breathing should be deep, but you should still be able to pass the talk test. If you cannot talk, then you need to lower your intensity, but keep moving.

WEEK 3

Cardio: Walk four days this week for 20-25 minutes. Time a mile this week and try to walk at a 15-minute mile pace. You should still be able to talk at this pace; if not, lower your intensity by slowing down.

WEEK 4

Cardio: Walk four days a week for 30 to 35 minutes at a brisk pace and try to add some challenging hills at this time. If you are on the treadmill, then add some incline after you warm up. Check your intensity with the talk test.

Tip: To measure exercise intensity during your cardio session, use a simple and effective technique called the "talk test."

The talk test has been validated through research to demonstrate that if someone can talk comfortably while exercising, then this means they are efficiently utilizing fat as a primary source of fuel. Once it becomes difficult to talk, this signifies that carbohydrates become the primary source of fuel for the activity.

Pick a phrase that takes approximately 20-30 seconds to say to perform this test, such as the Pledge of Allegiance, the American Council on Exercise suggests.

The talk test is used when training strictly aerobically. There are other training methods used for higher intensity training such as interval training or anaerobic training that burn a tremendous amount of total calories as well.