(Originally published in Best Health, Spring 2008)

Start this walking plan today to get trim and fit in just eight weeks 

Walking works: that's the loud-and-clear message from fitness experts, health researchers and everyday Canadian women. It's cheap, accessible and you already know how to do it. All those factors mean that fitness walking can help you lose excess weight and the health problems that go along with it, like high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Plus, studies have linked moderate exercise to lower rates of stress and certain cancers.

Our comprehensive walking regime was developed by Jessica Zapata, a certified personal trainer and co-owner of Infinite Fitness in Edmonton, and vetted by Lynn Kanuka, RunWalk coordinator for SportMedBC, a Vancouver not-for-profit society of sport medical and paramedical practitioners. It focuses on building endurance and burning fat. So if you want to lose weight, ward off disease and have fun while you're at it, try the Best Health Walking Plan today!

Stories of successful walkers:

THE MULTI-TASKER
Narmin Figueiredo, 39, Richmond Hill, Ont., director of operations for a day care centre 5'4"
starting weight: 140 lb
current weight: 127
The problem Narmin was searching for an affordable workout both she and her new baby could enjoy.
The plan She signed up for a free hour-long stroller fitness class at her local mall. Two mornings a week, before the mall opens, Narmin, other new moms and a fitness instructor alternate very brisk 1-km laps with resistance and stability ball workouts.
The payoff Down 13 lbs; all-over body toning; socializing with other moms; a happy and engaged baby. "I thought we'd just walk a few laps, but this is a real workout! You're definitely sweating at the end."

THE CALORIE BURNER
Marilyn Inch, 54, Saint John, NB, group performance specialist at contact centre 5'1"
starting weight: 230 lbs
current weight: 164 lbs

The problem Marilyn's doctor told her that her weight, her blood pressure and her cholesterol levels were all too high.
The plan She started walking 3km to her job every day, and kept it up for four years. Then, as her fitness level increased, she switched to Nordic walking, using two walking poles like she's cross-country skiing. Because Nordic walking uses muscles in the upper body, it burns a third more calories than walking alone. Today Marilyn is part of "Walking Proud," a group of fellow Nordic walkers who walk 5km around Saint John for an hour, five evenings a week.
The payoff Down four clothing sizes; normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels; defined shoulders, waist and triceps. "I love the extra oomph that Nordic walking has. You feel like you're in four-wheel drive and can go anywhere!"

THE ROLE MODEL
Wanda Bourdages, 45, Saskatoon, addiction counselor 5'6"
starting weight: 163 lbs
current weight: 138 lbs

The problem A new prescription medication packed extra weight onto Wanda's frame. The plan She started a fitness routine that includes daily 30 minute walks, either on her lunch break or after work.
The payoff Down 20 lbs over 2 years; renewed energy; improved self-esteem. "I feel better than I have in years, and I love knowing that I'm a health role model for my three daughters."

Walking tips:

Drink up Heard that plastic water bottles pose health risks? The jury's still out. Instead, consider swigging from a chic stainless steel bottle, available at sporting good and health food stores for about $18 and up. And keep that water icy-cold with innovative slim "ice sticks" that fit neatly into sports bottles (try kitchen supply stores, about $12 for two trays).

Download some tunes If you're walking on a less-than-exciting treadmill or indoor track, the right music can really keep you energized. Visit www.mywalkingmusic.com to download an impressive variety of songs (US $0.99 each) onto your iPod/mp3 player. Genres include R&B, rock and country, and each song comes in three different tempos to correspond with slower, moderate and brisk walking paces.

Walk ‘n' learn Taking a vacation this summer? Head to www.tourcaster.com to download podcasts of insiders' walking tours of cities from Dublin to Shanghai—and Toronto and Victoria BC too. too. Prices range from free to US$15.

Set a goal Give your motivation a boost by training for a specific charity walk, like the CIBC Run for the Cure (breast cancer research, October 5, www.cibcrunforthecure.com) or Joints in Motion (arthritis research, various dates, www.arthritis.ca).
Super Cities Walk for MS (multiple sclerosis research, various dates in April and May, www.mssociety.ca)

Walk safe Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found that women who felt unsafe in their communities took a thousand fewer steps a day. If you feel like your neighbourhood is a little too dicey after dark to go for a walk, talk to your local health centre about an after-hours walking program in a mall or school.

Don't break the bank Pricey shoes (around $150) aren't really any better than the less expensive ones (around $85), according to a recent small study of nine different pairs, published in the British Journal of Sport Medicine. Look for sneakers that can be firmly laced up, and have smooth, cushioned interior. Your toes should be able to move freely, with up to 1 cm of space from the tip of your big toe to the end of the shoe. Seamless, non-cotton socks, made of merino wool or a synthetic fibre like CoolMax, are best because they don't get soggy with sweat and chafe.

Walk tall Poor posture can lead to injury for fitness walkers, notes Linda Dagenais, a physiotherapist in Timmins, Ont. "Common problems are leaning forward too much, tensing the shoulders, and not swinging the arms enough."

Box:
Get ready to move
So what's the difference between fitness walking and everyday walking? "A stroll isn't enough," says Jessica Zapata, an Edmonton-based certified personal trainer. "To lose weight and improve fitness levels, you really have to get your heart rate up. On days one, three and five, you're working on endurance, which teaches your body to burn fat as fuel. On days two and four, you're working out of your comfort zone, which means that your body burns more calories trying to recover to its resting state."

First, you need to figure out what different levels of intensity feel like for you. You can estimate how hard you're working based on a scale of one to 10, where 1 is no effort at all and 10 is working as hard as you can. Or, if you're a numbers kind of gal, use a heart monitor (a commonly used brand, Polar, is about $60 and up, available at sporting goods stores) to measure your heart rate while you exercise. Subtract your age from 220, then multiply the result by the heart rate percentage you want to achieve. So, for a 46 year old wanting to work at 70% of her maximum heart rate, it would look like this: (220-46) x 0.70 = 122 bpm (beats per minute).

Your intensity scale:
1-2 = resting heart rate
3-4 = 50% of max HR
5 = 60% of max HR
6 = 65% of max HR
7 = 70% of max HR
8 = 80% of max HR
9 = 85% of max HR
10=95% of max HR

You can increase intensity by walking faster, heading uphill or moving your arms more ie using two walking poles.
Remember not to do all five days in a row, because your body needs rest days to recharge. And remember, before you start any fitness plan, doublecheck with your doctor.

Week One

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
1 min at level 7
repeat 5 times
10 min at level 3
total: 25 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
20 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 35 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
1 min at level 7
repeat 5 times
10 min at level 3
total: 25 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
30 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 45 min

Week Two

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
10 min at level 5
5 min at level 7
10 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 40 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
1 min at level 7
1 min at level 8
repeat 5 times
10 min at level 3
total: 30 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
10 min at level 5
5 min at level 7
10 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 40 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
1 min at level 7
1 min at level 8
repeat 5 times
10 min at level 3
total: 30 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
35 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 50 min

Week Three

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
10 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 35 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
2 min at level 8
repeat 5 times
10 min at level 3
total: 30 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
10 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 35 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
2 min at level 8
repeat 5 times
10 min at level 3
total: 30 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
40 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 55 min

Week Four

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
15 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 40 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
2 min at level 8
repeat 7 times
10 min at level 3
total: 36 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
15 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 40 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
2 min at level 8
repeat 7 times
10 min at level 3
total: 36 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
45 min at level 5
10 min at level 3
total: 60 min

Week Five

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
20 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 40 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
2 min at level 8
1 min at level 10
repeat 6 times
10 min at level 3
total: 39 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
20 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 40 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 5
2 min at level 8
1 min at level 10
repeat 6 times
10 min at level 3
total: 39 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
40 min at level 6
10 min at level 3
total: 55 min

Week Six

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
25 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 45 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
2 min at level 8
repeat 7 times
10 min at level 3
total: 36 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
25 min at level 7
10 min at level 3
total: 45 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
2 min at level 8
repeat 7 times
10 min at level 3
total: 36 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
45 min at level 6
10 min at level 3
total: 60 min

Week Seven

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
30 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 50 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
2 min at level 8
1 min at level 10
repeat 6 times
5 min at level 3
total: 50 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
30 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 50 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
2 min at level 8
1 min at level 10
repeat 6 times
10 min at level 3
total: 39 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
50 min at level 6
10 min at level 3
total: 65 min

Week Eight

Day 1
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
15 min at level 7
5 min at level 8
15 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 55 min

Day 2
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
3 min at level 8
repeat 7 times
10 min at level 3
total: 43 min

Day 3
5 min at level 3-4
5 min at level 5
15 min at level 7
5 min at level 8
15 min at level 7
5 min at level 5
5 min at level 3
total: 55 min

Day 4
5 min at level 3-4
1 min at level 6
3 min at level 8
repeat 7 times
10 min at level 3
total: 43 min

Day 5
5 min at level 3-4
55 min at level 6
10 min at level 3
total: 70 min