Walking is a form of exercise that nearly anyone can do, and it is a good place to start your pursuit of good health. If you have never done any extra activity to exercise, use the information in this article to guide you from a small beginning to a great finish.

If your body is totally out of shape and you struggle with extra weight, even walking a short distance may be difficult in the beginning. Your most important objective should be to just get on your feet and start moving. Even if you can only walk to the street and back, do it every day until you can walk around the block. Each day you walk your body gets a little stronger, and you should be able to see progress after just a week or two. If weather becomes a problem, walk in a nearby mall or join a gym with an indoor track.

You probably will not continue walking if your feet hurt, so invest in comfortable shoes. They do not need to be top of the line or the best brand, just make sure they have good support and a roomy toe-box. Walking shoes are different than running shoes, so start with a good pair of walking shoes. If you need running shoes in the future, your walking shoes will still get a lot of use for every day wear.

If you live in a densely populated area, you may not have access to a favorable walking situation. In this case you could consider joining a gym if there is one nearby, or buying a treadmill. Make sure to try out any treadmill you are considering so you can decide whether or not it is practical for you. Many people have unused treadmills sitting somewhere in their home because they do not like the feel of them.

Hiking is a great form of exercise and is an advanced form of walking. If you are in the beginning stages of walking, do not attempt to hike up and down hills for more than a short distance. Some parks have designated hiking trails and provide benches for resting along the way. This is an enjoyable way to spend some time with a friend in a natural setting.

Once you have built up your endurance for walking a few miles, you could try jogging or running a short distance interspersed with walking. Even if you can only manage a faster speed for a short distance, it is a starting place. Try to increase that distance as much as possible every day, and you will soon be running a mile or so. This level of exertion burns more calories, so you should also begin losing weight as you increase your endurance level.

If you are not sure how many miles you are walking or jogging, a pedometer can measure the distance for you. Once you have worked your way up to walking one hour or more, the distance you are walking will be more important.

Consistency is very important for any type of exercise, and walking is probably the easiest program to stick with. Nearly everyone needs to walk somewhere every day, so use the tips in this article to expand your walking into better health for you.