One day, Anella Swingle was shopping at the mall – and she was struggling. She had to rest frequently along the way. Anella hadn’t exercised much over the years - contrary to what her doctor recommended. The 77-year-old had severe osteoarthritis in her knees. She didn’t realize her health would be worse for it until then.

Anella decided she wouldn’t let arthritis stop her from enjoying another day at the mall, so she hired a trainer to help her build strength, and began walking regularly on her own.

“It was tough in the beginning, but the more I kept moving, the less pain I had,” she says. Anella credits her walking program with also increasing her endurance and ability to handle stairs – and go the full length of the mall – without being out of breath. “I walk every day. I feel too good now to stop.”

By walking regularly, Anella and millions of others are not only following doctors’ recommendations, but the federal government’s, too. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently conducted a major review of the science on how physical activity benefits health. As a result, it released 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The report recommends exercising at a moderate intensity for 130 to 150 minutes a week for optimal physical and mental health benefits. A reduced time commitment – 75 minutes a week – is allowed, if the workouts are no shorter than 10 minutes each and consist of vigorous movement, such as racewalking, swimming or singles tennis.

And people who are older or have health issues, including arthritis, are expected to follow the same guidelines, to the extent their conditions allow.

Everyone – including, again, those who are older or with health problems – are strongly encouraged to surpass even the high-end targets. The guidelines are emphatic: The more vigorous, the longer and more frequent the exercise, the greater the benefits to health.

“These new guidelines are a wake-up call for all of us,” says Patience White, MD, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine and pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. “Exercise plays a critical role in keeping us healthy and independent.”

Dr. White points out that the report specifically mentions arthritis as a condition that will improve with exercise.  

Walking is a great way to meet the new guidelines, because it’s so easily adapted to the needs of the walker and can be effective for people at every level of fitness, from sedentary to active.  

“We know walking can prevent and relieve many of the consequences of arthritis,” says Dr. White, who is also the chief public health officer of the Arthritis Foundation.

PROGRAM 1: GET OFF THE COUCH!

Starting a walking program is simple. “Just get going,” says Kevin R. Stone, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and founder of The Stone Clinic in San Francisco.

“Buy a good pair of shoes and start out on level ground at a comfortable pace.” If you experience pain, Dr. Stone recommends finding a pool and walking in waist-high water to start.

Beginner workout:
•    To start, walk 10 minutes, at least three to five days a week, at an easy pace until your muscles adjust to the new activity.
•    Maintain good posture to avoid putting unnecessary strain on joints.
•    Swing arms freely, step gently and avoid locking the knee joints.
•    Stay close to home or in an area with benches to rest on, in case you become fatigued.

After a week, add five minutes to your walk, and keep adding five-minute increments weekly. Continue that progression, walking more frequently and increasingly longer at a faster speed and you’ll be on the way to meeting the minimum guidelines in no time.

PROGRAM 2: VARY YOUR SPEEDS

Try interval walking, incorporating short bursts of speed into a moderately paced walk, to burn more calories in the same amount of time. In a recent study from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, women who performed interval workouts lost three times as much body fat as women who exercised at a continuous pace.

Interval walking workout:
•    Warm-up at a slow-to-moderate pace for 5 minutes.
•    Walk at a moderate pace for one minute.
•    Walk at a fast pace for 30 seconds.
•    Return to a moderate pace for one minute.
•    Repeat the cycle for the total length of your workout, at least 25 to 30 minutes (five days a week).
•    Cool down at the end with a slow walk.
•    Gradually extend the fast pace interval, until you’re doing one, then two and eventually three minutes each.
•    Option: Walk a hilly route or use the “interval” setting on your treadmill.

PROGRAM 3: WORK YOUR WHOLE BODY

Power walking, at a pace of 3 to 4 miles per hour, is a great way to boost intensity. Walk a mile in about 15 to 20 minutes, tighten your core muscles and add arm movements, and you’ll burn as much as 400 calories during an hour.

FYI: Power walking is similar to race walking, but the latter is a sport with rules and regulations.

Power-walking workout:
•    Warm up at a slow-to-moderate pace for 5 minutes.
•    Increase to a moderate to fast pace, using short, quick steps, without locking the knees.
•    Use a heel-to-toe motion, starting with the heel, roll through the foot bed and push off with your big toe.  
•    Keep your buttocks tight to engage your lower back muscles and pull in your core (abdominal) muscles.
•    Bend your arms roughly 90 degrees, with fists loosely closed, and pump them back and forth, as if skiing.
•    Maintain a consistent rhythm throughout your walk.
•    Cool down at the end with a slow walk.