Drink plenty of fluids
Drink at least two cups of water both before and after exercise, even if you're not thirsty (a sign of dehydration). If it's hot, humid, or you're exercising vigorously, drink a cup of water every 15 minutes during your workout as well. Weigh yourself before and after a workout‹if you've lost five percent or more of your body weight, you're dehydrated and need to replenish your fluids.Wear the right attire
While you don't need special clothing, do dress appropriately for the weather‹and buy good shoes to prevent injury. We recommend going to a store that specializes in walking and running equipment, where trained staff can help you find a shoe that fits your particular needs.Challenge yourself--but slowly
Start off walking for 20 to 30 minutes four days a week at a comfortable pace. Begin alternating 2-5 minutes of brisk walking with 2-5 minutes of easy walking, gradually increasing the ratio of brisk to easy. Once you've worked up to 30 minutes of brisk walking, you could add in running if you like. At first, run 30 seconds, then walk 90 seconds, and repeat for 30 minutes. When that's comfortable, move to 45 seconds of running and 75 seconds of walking, then 75 walking/45 running, then 90 running/30 walking, until you're running for 30 minutes. The whole process could take anywhere from eight weeks to four months‹listen to your body and don't feel pressured to go too fast.Consider adding strength training to your aerobic exercise (like walking and running) if you have time. We recommend doing strengthening exercises with weights for 15 to 20 minutes two to three times a week. For efficiency, do one set of 8 to 12 repetitions for each of the major muscle groups (8 to 10 exercises). Work to muscle fatigue‹if you can finish the set easily, use heavier weights.
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.healthandgoodness.com)
