Walking is one of the best cardio workouts available. It is easy on joints and can be tailored to any fitness level. Good technique is essential to get the most from your walking workout – so pay attention to your posture.

Warm up with five to 10 minutes of slow walking and other light activities such as arm circles. Then pick up the pace. Finish a session with a cool-down period of five to 10 minutes of slow walking.

A great way to get started is to wear a pedometer for a day and see how many steps you take. Then try to add 1,000 steps to that daily number each for one week. Continue increasing your daily steps by 1,000 per week until you reach 10,000 steps a day.

Once walking has become part of your daily life, you can try to increase the intensity by walking faster or seeking out hillier terrain. Never strap weights to your ankles or lower legs – this can lead to joint injuries.

"I have been walking for about four weeks now and I have already lost 10 pounds. I thought I would never see the day that I would get into a size 10. I walk 30 or 40 minutes a day and I am now walking a mile in under 18 minutes at an incline." --iVillager mrsnero799

"I love walking for the schedule flexibility. My only problem is that I don't get that rush I feel when I go to an aerobics class or when I used to run. I have tried to power walk but it still doesn't cut it." --iVillager kdcaseme

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