Walk this way

Now here's a way to walk, and it comes straight from Mark Fenton, author of The Complete Guide for Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness. It's a simple six-day schedule -- you get the seventh day off -- and it's intended to boost the intensity of walking workouts for a greater benefit in less time. Check it out, try it, and tell us what you think.

Three days of the week: Engage in 30-60 minutes of purposeful walking. Walk the kids to school, walk to the store for milk, or walk with a colleague at work -- call it a meeting and you'll kill two birds with one stone. Break up your walking if you wish -- 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there -- but walk with a mission. Walk as if you're not late but have no time to spare.

Two days of the week: Get moving for 25-45 minutes of high intensity walking. Walk very quickly and tackle some hills while you're at it. Do this walk all at once and not in mini-chunks of time, and be aware of your breathing. Make sure you aren't gasping for air.

One day per week: Take a 90-minute walk. It can be a hike or even a family excursion in a park. Speed isn't important for this one. Just go long.