Whether you walk the school run every day, ramble through countryside at the weekends or power walk your way around your local park one thing's for sure, walking can be a great way to lose weight and if done regularly enough, can shed as much as 8 pounds in just six weeks.

It's also one form of exercise that is it free, sociable, enjoyable, requires very little fitness, little or no equipment and perhaps most importantly, can even be done whilst your with the kids! O.k. so meandering along at a snails pace with a toddler in tow is never going to make a huge difference to your waistline but pop them in a push chair or powerwalk alongside older children as they cycle and you've soon got yourself a child friendly workout that will do the whole family good.

Here's how to get started ...
As with any exercise, it is important to warm up first and cool down afterwards by decreasing the intensity of your walk until your breathing and heart rate has returned to a comfortable level.

Invest in a comfortable pair of trainers or walking shoes and some layered clothing. You may also want to take a water bottle with you. Begin with a gentle warm up that includes activities that takes all your joints through a full, natural range of movement. For example, do shoulder rolls for the shoulders, knee lifts for the hips, hamstring curls for the knees and point and flex the foot for the ankles etc. Warm up all the major joints of the body, this helps to lubricate the joints, reducing the chance of injury and increasing the comfort of the walk. Start the walk gentle and gradually build up for a few minutes until you feel warm then stretch out the main muscles of the body especially the legs.

Now you're ready for your walk. Your route should be planned carefully so that you are aware of the type of terrain you will be walking on. You can use inclines and speed to alter the intensity of your workout and build up the duration of the walks as your fitness increases. Always let someone know where you're going and what time you're expected to return. If walking on your own stick to well, lit populated areas and you may want to carry a mobile phone for additional safety. Try to always ensure you have some money on you in case you need to use a public telephone, toilets, get public transport or buy a drink.

N.B. It is important to consult a doctor before embarking on any new physical activity programme.

Walking Tips

• Find walking partners.
• You're less likely to skip a walk if someone is relying on you.
• Keep a log of how far and how long you walked for and record how long it took
• You'll be amazed at the progress you can see emerging in a relatively short space of time.
• Don't try to do too much at once
• Vow never to take the car or public transport for journeys of less than a mile
• Vary your walks from day to day
• Vary the speed and intensity of the walks.
  You may choose to do a long, slow ramble one day and a short, fast walk another. The variation will do a great deal to rapidly improve your health and fitness.
• Walk tall with you shoulders relaxed and down and your abdominals gently contracted.
• Drink plenty of water both during and after your walk.